The Legend of Zelda: The Golden Land
by Jedi SSJ
Summary: UPDATE! -This story still lives- What happened to the Hero of Time after MM? This is my take. The Hero of Wind and the Hero of Time meet. And the Fierce Deity is on the loose!
1. On the Winds of Discovery

What would happen if the Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds were to meet? What could be bad  
enough to require two Links to face? This story takes place (mostly) one year after The Wind  
Waker (Link is 13). It also had parts that take place a year or two after Majora's Mask (Link is 14).  
  
To really understand this story, you need to play through Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and  
Wind Waker. By the way, for those of you who refuse to play Wind Waker because of the cell  
shading . . . don't be stupid! It is a very good game! Give it a chance.   
  
Anyway, this is my first (published) Zelda fan fic. I just was not satisfied with the ending of Wind  
Waker (the ending is a little disappointing) and I wanted to connect it with Ocarina of Time more.   
It said that the Hero of Time disappeared. But how? This is my take. Someone else published  
something with a similar idea, but I think mine is quite different. I also had this in mind before the  
other was published.  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would be making a new game, not  
writing a story about it.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter One  
On the Winds of Discovery  
Tetra stared out at the waves an sighed. It had been a year since her crew had set out to find  
a new land. Apparently, the Great Sea was bigger than anyone had imagined. They had not found  
any suitable land. They had made their course circular, so they would soon be returning to Outset  
Island, which was good, because they needed supplies.  
  
On the positive side, they had charted many new islands. Some of them had towns, but most  
were wild. They had even found a few ruins. Tetra guessed that these ruins were from the original  
Hyrule. She rested her head on her arms, which were on the railing.  
  
"Tired? Or is all the excitement too much for you?"  
  
Tetra chuckled as she turned to the young man behind her. She gave Link a lopsided smile.   
"Excitement? Where? Where?" she said, looking around.  
  
Link chuckled and walked up to the railing beside the female pirate. Together, they gazed  
out at the sea in silence. The quite reverie was broken by a commotion behind them. The two  
turned to see the crew running around, actually excited for once. Tetra raised an eyebrow. "What's  
going on?" she asked.  
  
Instead of one of her crew answering, Meldi, the young Rito maiden explained things.   
"Zuko has spotted an island. It looks like ruins, but is mostly intact."  
  
Tetra and Link exchanged grins. "Finally. Ruins are usually interesting. Let's take a  
look."  
  
Medli smiled. "We're already headed in. The crew seemed quite anxious to get off the ship  
for a bit."  
  
Tetra rolled her eyes. "And they don't even consult me? Sheesh. I thought I was the  
captain." Link chuckled, before being silenced by a glare. He then pretended to act innocent.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Within an hour, Link pulled the King of Red Lions up to shore on the island. A few meters  
away, two landing rafts from the pirate ship were settling in as well. Tetra hopped off of the lead  
boat, followed by the pirates Nudge, Mako, and Gonzo. Medli came from the other boat, followed  
by the rest of the pirates and Makar, the small wooden Korok.   
  
Link examined the ruins in front of him. A stone ziggurat stood, covering most of the island.   
It was overgrown and in poor repair, but it still stood, mostly intact. The island itself seemed to be  
covered by ominous clouds.  
  
"What a gloomy place," Makar commented. That pretty much summed it all up.  
  
Tetra shrugged. "Oh well, I want to explore that pyramid. Let's go." She led the was up to  
the arching doorway. It took several of the larger pirates to push it open. They finally entered the  
tower, which was pitch black.  
  
Link groaned. "Perfect. No lights," he said, stepping forward a few feet. The Hero of  
Winds suddenly recoiled back, as torches on either side of the hall sprung to life a few feet ahead.  
  
Medli blinked. "Well, that was . . . odd."  
  
Tetra nodded. "Let's keep going. Maybe the place will light up as we go." She walked on  
ahead of Link. Sure enough, more torches lit up as she approached them. The group traveled  
slowly down the hall, Link and Tetra in the lead. The hall was very long. It began to incline, and  
lead in a spiral fashion towards the center of the ziggurat. Apparently, it lead to the peak.  
  
After what seemed like forever, the hallway abruptly ended. The torches went on ahead,  
lighting up a large room and igniting several large basins. Everyone entered the room and stopped  
near the entrance.  
  
In the center of the room was a large statue. It was on a raised platform of stone. The statue  
itself consisted of to stone figures. One of the figures looked like a normal person, but Link instantly  
recognized it. It was identical to the statue of the Hero of Time, which had been in Hyrule Castle.   
The other figure stood opposite the Hero. This one was taller and wore a strange type of armor. It  
had face paint depicted on the statue by grooves. It's eyes were haunting and lifeless, containing no  
pupils. The sinister figure looked vaguely like an older version of the Hero of Time. It had the  
same hair and basic shape. The two figures stood, expressions of hate etched on their faces. The  
Hero of Time held a giant sword that looked too big for him. It had intricate rose patterns on the  
blade. Another, smaller sword was slung over the Hero's back. The sinister figure held an even  
more massive sword, which consisted of two blades wrapped in a double helix. The two figures had  
their swords crossed, like they were trying to overpower the other.  
  
Link walked up to the statue and climbed up on the raised platform. He walked over to the  
statue of the Hero of Time. The statue was life-size and had immaculate detail. A quiver of arrows  
could be seen on the Hero's back, under his shield. An item that Link recognized as a hookshot  
hung from his belt. Link stood next to the Hero and examined him.  
  
Tetra let out a soft whistle. "He looks a lot like you, Link."  
  
The Hero of Winds nodded. "Yeah, a bit. It's the Hero of Time. Remember the statue from  
Hyrule Castle?"  
  
Tetra nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But who is the other guy?" Link shrugged in response.  
  
"Mistress Tetra! Look over here!"  
  
Tetra turned to where Gonzo and Mako were crowding around something on the side of the  
room. Tetra walked over to them, followed by Medli and Makar. Link jumped off of the statue and  
followed them.   
  
Tetra approached what she realized was an alter. On the alter, six medallions were  
displayed. Unlike the rest of the tower, the looked shiny and new. Each had a symbol etched on it,  
and each was a different color. Behind the medallions, was a stone slab with an ancient language  
carved on it.  
  
Link turned to Tetra. "Can you read that?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nope." Medli and Makar also examined the slab, but neither could  
read it.  
  
Tetra sighed. She reached out and picked the yellow medallion up off the alter. "Maybe  
these are worth something."  
  
Medli glared at the pirate captain. "You know, for the Princess of Hyrule, you really have  
no respect for ancient artifacts. Put it back."  
  
Tetra, who was also Princess Zelda (though she would hurt you if you called her that), rolled  
her eyes. "What's the big deal? I mean it's -" she was interrupted by the tower beginning to rumble  
ans shake violently. Tetra quickly put the medallion back. "Maybe you're right." Medli crossed  
her feathery arms and scowled. After a moment, the tower ceased to vibrate. Tetra scratched the  
back of her head sheepishly. "You know," she said, "Maybe we should leave now. Quickly."  
  
Everyone agreed, and the took off, back down the hallway. The trip back was much faster,  
considering they were running. They reached the shore and piled into their boats. In no time, they  
were back in the pirate ship, headed away from the island. Soon, the island was barely visible on the  
horizon.  
  
Tetra and Link leaned against the railing. "You know," Link said, "sometime I want to go  
back there. That place was interesting."  
  
Before Tetra could respond, the sky was filled with a bright light, and a fierce wind threw  
the two to the deck. When they recovered and got back to their feet, Tetra gave a low whistle. "I  
don't think you'll be going back THEIR, pal." Where the island had been, there was now a column  
of dust, smoke, and ash raising to the sky.  
  
Link blinked in surprise. "I guess not."  
  
Medli was close by. "Gee, I wonder who's fault THAT was." Tetra glared at her. 


	2. Unleashed

Hello again. Let's get to the story, shall we?  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda. Yet.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Two  
Unleashed  
Several Hundred Years in the Past  
  
A misty rain covered the land, soaking into the soil and drenching everything. One  
unfortunate young man happened to be out in this wet weather. A brown horse with white trim  
raced across the open fields. On the horse's back was a young teenage boy. He was clad in green  
with a sword and shield slung over his back, bouncing as the horse galloped. A bow and several  
other items were also fastened to the lad. His blond hair clung to his face, drenched in the rain.  
  
The young man, known as Link, spurred his horse on to greater speeds. There was no time  
left. He rode towards a village near the forest. That was his best guess as to where the fiend was  
headed. Link had just come from Kakariko Village, the windmill town that housed Hyrule's  
graveyard. At least, it used to. Now there was nothing left. The whole village was a graveyard.  
  
And it was all his fault.  
  
Link peered through the haze to find the next village. He thought that he could see smoke in  
the sky. That could be a good or a bad sign. As Link and his horse, Epona, galloped over the crest  
of a hill the village came into view. It was in flames.  
  
Link narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He spurred Epona towards the smoldering  
wreckage. A sick feeling hung in the pit of Link's stomach. As he entered the burning town, it  
became apparent that there were no survivors. Just like Kakariko. It looked as if the village had  
suffered the wrath of a god. But, Link knew what had happened. The village had suffered a god of  
wrath.  
  
The Fierce Deity had been here.  
  
And it was all Link's fault.  
  
The Hero of Time cursed under his breath as he inspected the town. Looking for survivors  
was useless. The Fierce Deity would not leave any. And it had been Link who had unleashed the  
raging demigod.  
  
Two years earlier, a twelve-year-old Link had returned from his adventured in the world of  
Termina. He had brought with him the masks he had collected there. They were magical masks.   
Several of them, he still carried with him wherever he went. They had all been a great help to him.   
However, one of the masks was not filled with joy, like the others. Link cursed the day he had ever  
worn that mask. The Fierce Deity Mask. A mask endowed with the power of an angry god of  
wrath. Link had been forced to use the mask to defeat another evil mask, Majora's Mask. When  
Link had worn the mask, he had been transformed into an unstoppable demigod. He had then struck  
down Majora's Wrath with ease. After returning to Hyrule, link had kept the mask with him. He  
had not known. No one had none. The Fierce Deity Mask contained not only the power of an evil  
god, but trapped inside of it was the spirit of the god itself.  
  
And two months ago, the angry god had broken free from it's prison. The Fierce Deity was  
loose on Hyrule. Link cursed himself for not seeing the mask for what it really was. He should  
have destroyed it. Or had the Sages banish it from this or any other world. But he had not. Link  
had perhaps even had some inclination of the mask's true nature, but he chose to ignore these. The  
power of the mask was too useful to throw away.  
  
Now five cities in Hyrule were completely gone. The Fierce Deity never left survivors.   
Link blamed himself for all of it. The hardest thing, was when Link had arrived at the decimated  
Lon Lon Ranch. Despite an immense loss of blood, Malon was somehow still alive when he got  
there. She had died in his arms. Malon had been fourteen, the same age as Link. Link had quickly  
performed a burial service for Malon, Talon, and Ingo. He had been chasing the Fierce Deity for the  
past month.   
  
Link burned with anger. When he found the Fierce Deity, he would finish things for good.   
No matter what. The mark of the Triforce burned on Link's hand. The god of wrath would now  
face his wrath.  
  
Link and Epona quickly left the burning town. They were close, Link could feel it. By now,  
the Fierce Deity would know they were after him. Link turned west, towards the desert. He and  
Epona raced over Hyrule Field.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Link stood on sand covered stone in front of a giant ziggurat. He had left Epona in the care  
of the Gerudos before he had entered the Haunted Wasteland. The Gerudo Fortress that guarded the  
entrance to the dessert had been decimated like the towns. By the time Link got there, Gerudo from  
other places had gathered there. They were mourning their dead and preforming burial rights. Link  
had assured them that he was after the culprit.  
  
The Gerudo had insisted that they did not want justice, but revenge. Link had to agree,  
although, there was little difference in this case. He had vowed that he would show no mercy and  
had been able to persuade the Gerudo warriors not to come with him.  
  
Now Link stood in front of an empty temple. he knew that this had been Ganondorf's  
stronghold before he took Hyrule Castle. Link had only ever seen the pyramid in the distance. The  
Fierce Deity was in there. He was waiting.  
  
Using the power of his Golden Gauntlets, Link pushed open the massive arched doorway  
and entered the dark temple. Link couldn't see well, but he didn't care. He marched straight  
forward. As he walked, torches lit up before him, illuminating the hallway. Again, Link didn't  
care. He ran down the winding halls towards the center of the ziggurat. Soon, the Hero came to the  
room at the end of the hall. It had once been Ganondorf's throne room. Now, it was bare and  
empty.   
  
Empty except for a lone figure.  
  
The Fierce Deity stood at the far end of the room. He didn't move and his eyes were closed.   
His grey clothes rustled slightly in the breeze coming from the hall Link had entered through. His  
armor glittered in the torchlight. He gripped his massive, double bladed sword in front of him with  
both hands, the point of the sword resting on the ground.  
  
Link narrowed his eyes and slowly approached. At about five meters away, he stopped.   
  
"So, you finally made it, Little Warrior Boy?" The Fierce Deity raised his head and opened  
his eyes. Link met the demonic white gaze unwaveringly. The evil demigod smiled, a sick,  
demented smile. "So tell me, do you like how I have redecorated your world?"  
  
Link scowled. "With the bodies of women and children? You will pay for what you have  
done."  
  
The god of wrath raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh? Are you going to stop me? You  
are the one who released me on these people."  
  
Links lip twitched and he gnashed his teeth together. "You are right. This is my fault. Now  
I'm going to fix it."  
  
The deity smirked. He lifter his massive sword and slung it over his shoulder. "Really?   
You know, you and I are the same. When you wore that mask you could feel my power. You know  
you enjoyed it." The demigod's smirk grew has he saw Link flinch at that. "In a way, you are a  
part of me, and I am a part of you. Why do you think I look like this?"  
  
Link gritted his teeth. It was true. The Fierce Deity bore a chilling resemblance to him. If  
Link was about three years older, they would be nearly identical.  
  
Link scowled, barely containing his rage and his guilt. He was playing into the Fierce  
Deity's hands, and he knew it. Link drew in a deep breath and cleared his mind. He straightened  
his posture as he exhaled. His look of rage was replaced by once of determination. He reached  
behind his back and pulled out an item. The item had a green handle that looked like a stem. On  
the top, was a black-to-purple rosebud. Link swung the item through the air. The rosebud instantly  
morphed and grew into a giant blade with intricate rose designs. The Master Sword was still in the  
Temple of Time. Link could not remove it without releasing Ganon. That meant that he would  
have to use the Great Fairy's Sword. He gripped it in both hands.  
  
Link turned his gaze back to the Fierce Deity. "It does not matter. I am Link! Hero of  
Time and protector of this land! This ends now!"  
  
The Fierce Deity scowled at the defiant boy. This child refused to give in to his anger and  
would not be intimidated. How dare the puny mortal defy him! The god of wrath sneered and  
raised his sword in both hands.  
  
"So be it. Hero" 


	3. Homecoming

Helloooooooooooo! Yes, it is another chapter. I don't feel like talking, so onward. Also, please be  
sure to send me a review and tell me what you think! Reviews really do inspire writers.   
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda. But hopefully, I will some day work for  
Nintendo. Then I could help make the next Zelda!  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Three  
Homecoming  
Two Months Ago  
  
Aryll stood on the sandy shore. She gazed out at the sea. He big brother, Link, was still  
gone with the pirates. They would hopefully be back soon. Aryll had spent some time with Tetra  
and the pirates herself. She liked them all a lot. They were really funny. That had also helped Link  
save her from Ganondorf a year ago.   
  
Aryll hoped they were having a good time and good luck looking for a new land. Still, it  
was a little lonely with them all gone. Aryll and her grandmother had been alone for most of a year.   
She had had a birthday, her first one without her brother. She had cried a little that night, but she  
didn't let anyone know.  
  
Aryll sat down on the sand. She ran one hand through her blond hair and with the other she  
stroked the feathers of one of the seagulls that was on the beach. A group of seagulls always seemed  
to follow Aryll around. She didn't mind. She liked the birds.  
  
Aryll leaned back, resting on her elbows. She watched as the sun began to set, casting  
tendrils of crimson light.  
  
"Pretty, isn't it?"  
  
Aryll shot up from her resting place and spun around, scaring some of the seagulls. In front  
of her was another girl, a year or two older than herself. The girl wore a simple green mid-thigh  
length skirt and matching green vest. Under the vest, she wore a beige short-sleeve shirt. She also  
wore brown, leather boots that laced up most of the way to her knees. The girl had short, green hair  
and blue eyes. She smiled at Aryll.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She sat down next to Aryll, wrapping her arms  
around her knees and hugging them to her chest.  
  
The blond haired girl quickly recovered. "That's alright. I didn't realize there was anyone  
around. I'm Aryll," she said, extending her hand.  
  
The other girl smiled and shook her hand. "Hi. I'm Saria."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Now  
  
The entirety of Outset Island was out on the beach waving. The large pirate ship was  
docked a little ways off shore. Two landing boats and the King of Red Lions were headed to the  
shore.  
  
Aryll, her grandmother, and Saria stood together on the dock. Saria had told Aryll that she  
was a wanderer, roaming the land. Aryll had insisted that Saria stay with her, and her grandmother  
had agreed. Saria had spent the last two months living with Aryll and her grandmother.  
  
The two girls had spent a lot of time together. Aryll had never had a girl near her age  
around before. Saria seemed more than happy to hang around with her. Saria had even begun to  
teach Aryll how to play a small wooden flute, called an ocarina. The green haired girl had often  
entertained her hosts with some of the melodies she knew. Aryll had especially liked the upbeat tune  
that Saria had created herself. Aryll's grandmother, who Saria had become accustomed to calling  
Grandma, was glad that her granddaughter had a friend other than her brother. The only other  
children on the island, Joel and Zill, were both boys several years younger than Aryll.   
  
Everyone on the island had come to know Saria, though they were baffled at how she had  
arrived there with no boat. Aryll had asked her about this once. Saria had grinned slyly and replied  
that she got there by her ocarina. Aryll didn't know what she meant by that. Strangely, the only  
people in town who did not instantly accept Saria were Orca and Sturgeon. That was odd, because  
they rarely agreed on anything. Bot of the elderly brothers seemed suspicious of the girl, they felt  
she was hiding something, though they could not give any reason for this feeling.  
  
Aryll nudged Saria in the side. The slightly taller girl turned to her friend. Aryll pointed  
over to the King of Red Lions. "Over in the red boat. That's my brother, Link."  
  
Saria nodded and peered at the boy in the red boat. She couldn't help but stare at him. Aryll  
tilted her head. "What's wrong?"  
  
Saria shook herself out of her daze. "Oh, nothing. He just . . . looks a lot like someone I  
used to know." Aryll seemed to accept this.  
  
Soon, the boats pulled ashore and the people spilled out of them. Aryll quickly ran over to  
her brother and gave him a big hug. He smiled and spun her around in the air. A small, bittersweet  
smile formed on Saria's lips as she watched. So much alike. Soon, Aryll and Link came up to Saria  
and Grandma. Link gave his grandmother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Aryll then motioned to  
Saria. "Big Brother, this is Saria. She's been living with me and Grandma for a couple of months."  
  
Link grinned. "Hi. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.  
  
"And you," Saria replied, shaking his hand.  
  
Soon, the crowd began to disperse. The inhabitants of the island went back to their homes  
and the pirates began to restock their ship. There was going to be a large feast that night, but  
nothing was planned before then. Link, Aryll, Grandmother, and Saria stayed together talking,  
though Saria mostly listened. Once the pirates were organized and doing their jobs, the young  
female captain joined Link's group. Aryll grinned and gave the pirate girl a hug. "Hi Miss Tetra!"  
  
Tetra smiled. "Hey there kiddo. Long time no see."  
  
Saria studied the pirate girl for a moment. She would have normally dismissed her as a  
normal girl. Well, at least as normal a girl as a thirteen-year-old pirate captain can be. However,  
there was something familiar about her. It was the same way that this Link was familiar. Saria's  
eyes widened. That was it! There was no doubt about it. She had figured the pirate girls secret.  
  
A young girl with a beak and feathers soon joined the group, accompanied by man with  
similar characteristics. The girl had a golden harp strapped on her back. Link turned to address the  
bird man. "Hi, Quill. I didn't know you would be here."  
  
The man nodded. "I wanted to welcome you all back, and make sure Medli was alright.   
The bird girl blushed slightly at the overprotectiveness. Quill had always been her father-like figure.   
They, along with Tetra, were introduced to Saria. Saria thought she felt something strange about the  
girl Medli.   
  
Soon, a small wooden . . . thing joined them. He was introduced as Makar of the Korok.   
Saria thought he was oddly familiar as well. The entire group made their way to Link's house,  
where they sat around and chatted. Aryll had told Saria a good deal about her brother's adventure  
against Ganondorf, but she hadn't known everything. Listening in to the conversation, Saria picked  
out more details.  
  
After Link and the others had finished describing most of their trip, the conversation changed  
to what had been going on at home. Unfortunately, there had not been much to tell aside from  
Saria's joining them. Obviously, the conversation soon turned to Saria. She had never said much  
about herself. Everyone had wanted to know where she had come from, to which she replied that  
she was a wanderer.  
  
Tetra cocked her head at Saria's explanation. "Aren't you a little young to just wander  
around by yourself?"  
  
Saria raised an eyebrow and couldn't stop a small smirk from forming on her face. "Oh?   
And you're old enough to be a pirate captain?" This earned a chuckle from everyone and a slight  
blush from the female pirate. Saria smiled even more widely. She knew she could trust these  
people. Link was too much like her old friend not to trust. And her revelation about Tetra also  
prompted Saria to trust them. So, she figured she could tell them who she really was. "Besides," the  
green haired girl continued, "I'm older than I look."  
  
Link was still smirking at the embarrassed look on Tetra's face when he turned back to  
Saria. "Really? Exactly how old are you?"  
  
Saria assumed a thoughtful posture. "Hmmm," she thought out loud. "In four months I will  
be exactly . . . three hundred forty-seven years old."  
  
Link fell out of his chair. Tetra blinked a couple times before chuckling. "You're kidding.   
Right?"  
  
Saria smirked as she shook her head. "Not at all. I really am that old."  
  
Link had climbed back in his seat by then. "How could you possibly be THAT old? You're  
just a kid."  
  
Saria playfully shook a finger at him. "Tut, tut. Don't you know not to judge be  
appearances?"   
  
Link gave her a do-you-think-I'm-stupid look. "Right. And you're some great sorceress  
who chooses to look young?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
Saria chuckled. "Not exactly. You see, I'm what is known as a Kokiri."  
  
Several heads suddenly snapped to attention and all the laughing stopped. "Did you say  
Kokiri?" Makar asked in surprise.  
  
Saria nodded. "Yes. A forest child. We are eternally young. I will never age any more  
than this."  
  
Link scratched his head. "Kinda like Fado?"  
  
Now it was Saria's turn to blink in surprise. "How do you know Fado?"  
  
Makar answered this time. "He was the sage of the Wind Temple before me."  
  
Saria's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'before you?' Fado was made one of the two  
new sages centuries ago to ensure that the Master Sword would retain it's power. Sages don't quit  
their jobs, unless . . ."  
  
Makar nodded. "He was killed by Ganondorf. I was selected to be the new sage in his  
place. That way, the Master Sword could be used against Ganon."  
  
Saria nodded solemnly. "So he is dead. I see. What about Laruto, the Zora who was sage  
of the Earth Temple?"  
  
The bird girl responded to this. "She was also killed. I am the new sage of the Earth  
Temple."  
  
Saria nodded. She smiled sadly. "Strange. I think Fado is the only Kokiri to ever die."  
  
"Actually, the Korok, such as myself, are the descendants of the Kokiri," interjected Makar.  
  
Saria blinked in surprise. "You are descendants of the Kokiri?" Makar nodded. "I see.   
That is why you seemed strangely familiar."  
  
Link scratched his head. "So, you are a Kokiri like Fado then?"  
  
Saria nodded. "Are you really that old?" Saria turned to Aryll, who had asked the question.   
  
The Kokiri smiled. "Yes, I really am. I'm an old geezer and a little child at the same time.   
Of course, if any you tell anyone else my age, I may be forced to hurt you. It's notsomthing I like to  
broadcast." This earned a few chuckles.  
  
Makar finally spoke again. "I thought the Kokiri were sealed away when Hyrule was  
flooded. How are you not with them?"  
  
Saria gave a sigh. "I'm not exactly normal, even by Forest Child standards. You see, I am a  
sage myself. I am the Sage of the Forest. One of the Six Ancient Sages who helped to seal Ganon  
away the first time he appeared."  
  
If Saria had wanted to get everyone's attention, that was a good way to do it.  
  
"You're what?!"  
  
Saria winced and looked at the female pirate who was now gaping at her. She quickly hid a  
small smile.  
  
"You don't have to shout, Your Highness."  
  
Tetra settled back into her seat, but suddenly leapt forward again. "What?! But . . . how did  
you . . . ?"  
  
Saria smirked. "You think I can't tell who you are, Princess Zelda?" 


	4. At Any Cost

Hey there. This chapter has a fight! Yeah!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda. If you do, call me. We'll make a deal.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Four  
At Any Cost  
Several Hundred Years in the Past  
  
Sparks flew from the collision of two massive swords. The Hero of Time and the Fierce  
Deity clashed in battle. The two pressed their blades together for a minute in a test of wills. Finally,  
both leapt away, being unable to simply overpower their opponent. The god of wrath narrowed his  
eyes and charged again.  
  
Link blocked the evil god's heavy blows, but was forced to backpedal away from the force  
of them. The Fierce Deity pressed his attack, forcing Link back across the room. Soon the Hero  
found his back against the wall. The Oni raised his double helix blade to deliver a crushing blow,  
but Link rolled out of the way in time. A hole was cleaved in the wall.  
  
As the deity withdrew his blade from the wall, Link leapt in, slashing his sword down hard.   
The merciless god brought his sword up just in time to block the blow. Link now took the offensive.   
The Hero of Time pressed Fierce Deity back with a frenzy of blows which surprised the god in both  
their speed and their power. Link managed to keep the god off-guard for a while.  
  
The Fierce Deity, however, found an opening in Link's attacks, and was able to land a kick  
to the Hero's gut. Link was knocked backwards. He hit the ground, but quickly rolled back to his  
feet.  
  
The two opponents eyed each other for a moment. Finally, the angry god raised his sword.   
Instead of charging this time, he swung the massive weapon with a cry. A blue disk of magical  
energy shot out at Link. The Hero dove to the side, but the energy grazed his leg. Link looked  
down, and sure enough, he was bleeding, though only slightly. The Fierce Deity proceeded to fire  
several more energy disks at Link, who dove, rolled, and dodged to avoid them.  
  
The demigod paused for a moment, and Link regained his footing. The Hero of Time  
suddenly charged at his opponent. The Oni began to swing his word again, and loosed more energy  
disks. Link ran in a zig-zag pattern, hopping from one foot to the other, to avoid the disks. Link got  
in close enough that the Fierce Deity had to stop his magic assault and defend himself with his blade.  
  
The two swordsmen exchanged blows and parries that echoed through the entire pyramid.   
The Fierce Deity's eyes burned white with anger, and the Triforce on Link's hand burned gold.   
Finally, the evil god swung with such force that Link stumbled backwards. The equally powerful  
followup blow sent the Hero sprawling to the ground. Link quickly rolled to absorb the impact and  
landed in a crouching position, sword in one hand and a metal object now in the other. The Oni  
fired another magic disk at him. Link quickly pulled the trigger on the device in his hand, the  
Longshot. The point of the device wedged itself into the ceiling above the angry god. The chain  
quickly pulled Link into the air, narrowly avoiding the magic disk. As Link was pulled over his  
opponent's head, he let go of the Longshot, lang both feet squarely on the demon's face.  
  
The Fierce Deity hit the floor, but quickly leapt up again and Link recovered his Longshot.   
The enrage god began to hurl magic disks at his enemy again. Link put away the Great Fairy's  
Sword and pulled out his bow as he dodged the attacks, this time increasing the distance between  
himself and the Oni. The Hero of Time quickly notched an arrow, which began to glow with a  
golden light. He aimed while running from the magic disks and fired the arrow.  
  
A golden streak of light shot at the Fierce Deity. The demigod quickly sidestepped the  
missile, but another quickly followed. Now the Fierce Deity was force to dodge magic projectiles.   
As he proceeded to run and dodge, the demigod continued to fire off magic disks. Link continued to  
run and dodge the disks, while firing Light Arrows.  
  
The Fierce Deity smirked. He could use magic all day, but his opponent would soon run our  
of arrows. Link knew this too, and quickly switched tactics. He strung another arrow, but did not  
power it up with light energy. Instead, the arrow gained a blue aura. Link quickly fired it, aiming  
at the ground in front of his opponent. The Fierce Deity hit the new patch of ice before he realized  
what was happening. He staggered and slipped. He recovered just as Link charged in with a fierce  
sword onslaught.  
  
The two exchanged blows again at blinding speeds. Although Link started on the offensive,  
the Oni soon gained the lead, and forced the Hero back. Link parried repeated blows. Finally, the  
heavy blows caught him at an awkward angle and the Great Fairy's Sword was sent flying from his  
hand. The Fierce Deity raised his sword for what he intended to be the final blow. Link did the first  
thing he could think of. He slammed his opened hand into the ground. The flaming ball known as  
Din's Fire quickly surrounded him, throwing the god of wrath off his feet.  
  
Link quickly recovered his sword. He turned to face his opponent, who was raising to his  
feet, smoking but otherwise unhurt.  
  
"You will pay for that one, mortal," the demigod seethed.  
  
Link caught his breath. "You have greater sins to pay for, demon."  
  
The two rushed at each other, blades meeting in the middle. Link cut high, then slashed low.   
However, nothing worked. The Fierce Deity was just too fast and too strong. The evil god seemed  
to have an unlimited supply of energy, strength, and stamina. *Well, what did you expect?* Link  
scolded himself. *This isn't Ganon. You're fighting a god here!* The Hero of Time redoubled his  
efforts, swinging harder and faster than ever. He forced the demigod back a few steps, but made no  
other headway.   
  
Pulling back from one of Link's attacks, the Fierce Deity suddenly swung down at his  
enemy. Link hopped back to avoid the swing, but the Oni released another magic disk. Link was  
caught completely off-guard. The magical energy exploded against him and sent him flying to the  
ground. He staggered back up to his feet just in time to see another disk before it hit him. This time,  
Link was thrown into the wall.  
  
The Hero of Time slowly climbed to his feet, panting heavily. He kept one hand on the  
dented wall for support. He wiped a trickle of blood from his lip and eyed his opponent. The Fierce  
Deity stood tall and strong, eyes blazing. The demigod's breath was easy and even. He held his  
sword leisurely. That is when Link knew. He would not win this fight.  
  
Link furrowed his brow in frustration and bit his lip, not even noticing that he drew blood.   
He tried to think of a way to defeat his invincible opponent. The only thing Link could think of was  
to use his enemy's overconfidence against him. As the demigod approached, Link straightened  
himself and gripped his sword in both hands. He ignored the pain he was actually feeling and tried  
to act even more hurt than he was. The two opponents clashed swords again. Link staggered back,  
partly acting. The confident god swung what was meant to be a finishing blow, but Ling sidestepped  
out of the way. The god had overextended himself, and was left vulnerable. With a cry, Link  
swung his sword, slicing a large gash into the side of the demigod.  
  
Both fighters froze. Link cheered inside himself. The cut was deep. Deep enough to sever  
the spinal cord and open the stomach. Unfortunately, Link's opponent was not human. The Fierce  
Deity grinned as the cut was suddenly healed on its own. Link staggered back in surprise and  
horror.  
  
It was over. It had been over from the beginning, Link realized. He could never have hurt  
the god of wrath at all. If only he had the Master Sword! *No!!* Link cried in his mind. There was  
nothing left. He HAD to defeat the evil god. He couldn't let this THING destroy all of Hyrule and  
the rest of the world. Link HAD to stop him. It was his own fault the Oni was even here! He  
couldn't let the people down! He had to avenge his friends! He had to save those still alive! He had  
to win at any cost!  
  
At any cost.  
  
Link's blue eyes suddenly cleared. He had to win. He would win. At any cost.  
  
The Hero of Time suddenly straightened himself up, ignoring the pain. The rage, horror,  
and distress on his face was replace with grim determination. The Fierce Deity watched the sudden  
change with vague interest. Link plunged the blade of his sword in the ground between himself and  
the demigod, forming a sort of cross. Link knelt before the sword. His left hand formed into a tight  
fist. With his right hand, he carefully pulled off the six medallions he wore around his neck.  
  
Link closed his eyes. "Sages, hear my plea. Help me to seal this evil that is greater than any  
we have ever faced. Impa, Darunia, Ruto, Rauru, Nabooru, Saria." Link's eyes snapped open.   
"Give me your power!" He then threw the glittering medallions in the air. The floated there and  
began to glow, circling around the room. Link shot to his feet, raising his clenched left fist before  
him. The golden mark on it burned with a blinding light. "TRIFORCE OF COURAGE!! HELP  
ME NOW!!!"  
  
With a sudden, feral scream, Link yanked his sword out of the ground and charged at the  
Fierce Deity. The Hero's blue eyes now shone with a golden light. The god of wrath staggered  
backwards in surprise as a roaring wind and a golden light suddenly filled the room. A single  
golden triangle appeared in the air, above the opponents. It's warm glow fed the Hero of Time's  
strength. The Oni raised his blade as Link fell upon him with a mighty blow. The two pushed  
against each other, locked in a deadly corps-a-corps. Link's sudden strength surprised the demigod,  
who was unable to overpower his foe. The light coming from the triangle intensified.  
  
Finally, the Fierce Deity decided he had had enough. He had to get away from that light!   
He attempted to break off the sword lock, but suddenly found himself rooted to the spot. He looked  
down at he feet to find them turned to stone. The phenomenon was spreading up his leg. The god of  
wrath had never known fear. Now he did.  
  
"What is this?!" the Oni yelled at Link, whose face was only a foot away.  
  
The Hero of Time gave a sad but determined smile. "I'm going to seal you away so you  
cannot hurt anyone else," he said, keeping their blades locked.  
  
The Fierce Deity glance back down. Everything below his waist was now stone. He glanced  
back at Link only to realize that the Hero of Time was also halfway turned to stone. His eyes  
widened.  
  
"What are you doing?! You fool! You will become stone as well!"  
  
Link smirked as his stomach and hands began to become stone. "I know. But I must defeat  
you. At any cost."  
  
The Fierce Deity recoiled in shock as his arms and shoulders hardened into stone. The  
Demon and the Hero locked eyes just as their heads turned into stone.  
  
The battle was over. The two combatants were now frozen as statues in battle.  
  
The light in the room began to fade. The six medallions came down to rest on an alter that  
suddenly rose from the ground. On the alter was inscribed the words. "The Hero of Time and the  
God of Wrath. Forever are they frozen in battle. May no man ever disturb their sanctuary."  
  
The Triforce of Courage hung in the air, it's bright light receding. With a sudden burst of  
light, the piece of the Triforce shattered into eight pieces. These pieces were scattered across the  
land.  
  
And with that, the great ziggurat lay dormant. 


	5. Link's Awakening

Back again! Hello to everyone. It's an update! And the peasants rejoice. Please be sure to send  
reviews! Thank you! Just so you know, I am also working on stories for Chrono Trigger/Chrono  
Cross and Dragon Ball Z. If you like either of these, be sure to check them out through my bio.   
Now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda. It will be the wish I make on the Triforce.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Five  
Link's Awakening  
About a month ago.   
  
In a long forgotten ziggurat, several figures crowded around a stone alter. A green clad  
young man turned to his darker complected female companion.  
  
"Can you read that?" he asked, motioning towards an inscription on the alter.  
  
"Nope," replied the female. Another female and a small, wooden creature also tried to read  
it, but were unsuccessful. If they could have read Ancient Hylian, they would have known that the  
inscription read: "The Hero of Time and the God of Wrath. Forever are they frozen in battle. May  
no man ever disturb their sanctuary."  
  
The first female removed one of the six medallions from the alter. "Maybe these are worth  
something," she pondered.  
  
The other girl chided her, "You know, for the Princess of Hyrule, you really have no respect  
for ancient artifacts. Put it back."  
  
The first girl began to complain, but was stopped short as the entire pyramid began to  
tremble and shake. She quickly returned the medallion to the alter and the group left the temple.  
  
But the damage was already done.  
  
As the footsteps of the explorers faded down the long hallway, the seal upon that temple  
began to weaken and break. A crack formed on the face of the statue of the Hero of Time. A  
similar crack formed on the statue of his opponent.  
  
By the time the explorers had reached their landing boats and were headed towards their  
ship, both statue figures were riddled with cracks. A golden-white light began to seep out from the  
cracks.  
  
With a great bang and a sudden flare of light, the statues shattered. Two figured collapsed  
on the ground and lay still. After several minutes, the sound of ragged breath could be heard. The  
eyes of both figures fluttered open. It took them a moment to adjust in their still dazed state.   
Finally, the figures began to climb to sitting positions. Then they noticed each other. One of them  
was less than pleased. The other gave a rather frightening smile.  
  
The two figures glared at each other for several moments. Finally, the one with white hair  
and eyes spoke. "It looks like your seal wasn't as permanent as you hoped, Hero." The figure  
grabbed a large double helix bladed sword that lay next to him, and used it to pull himself to his feet.   
The other figure also struggled to his feet, leaning on his own sword for support.  
  
The Hero of Time and the Fierce Deity both stood motionless for a short while. Finally, the  
demigod hefted up his sword to attack, but stumbled and nearly fell. The green clad boy smirked.   
"It looks like you're not in too good of shape."  
  
The deity glared. "I will recover my strength soon, mortal."  
  
"We'll see." With that, Link pulled out his bow and notched an arrow. He had already  
figured that trying to move towards his enemy would be a bad idea. Link fired a Light Arrow. The  
evil god attempted to move out of the way, but was till clipped by the shot. A small gash formed in  
his side. Unlike the sword wound the Hero had inflicted decades ago, this cut did not heal itself.   
Link grinned. So the Fierce Deity COULD be hurt by Light Arrows. That meant that the Master  
Sword would also likely be able to harm him.  
  
The god of wrath clutched his side and cursed under his breath. He was not in any condition  
to engage in a fight right now. This mortal might be able to beat him in their current state. The  
demigod grinned. Their was always magic. He turned away from the Hero and raised his sword.   
He swung a magic enhanced strike, which blew away a large chunk of the wall. Then, to Link's  
amazement, the Fierce Deity levitated and floated out of the pyramid.  
  
By now, Link had mostly regained the use of his legs. He raised his sword, preparing for a  
fight. However, the god of wrath instead raise an arm above his head. An orb of magic energy  
began to form their. *Crap!* thought Link. He pulled out his bow and reached for an arrow.   
Unfortunately, the Hero of Time found that he had exhausted his supply of arrows. He swore under  
his breath. The evil god continued to gain energy, and floated further away from the pyramid.  
  
Link ran over to one of the other holes in the wall. He had a pretty good idea what that  
magic blast was intended to do. To the Hero's surprise, he found only water below him. That was  
strange. Shouldn't there be a desert there? Link turned back to his enemy.  
  
The Fierce Deity finally collected enough energy. He was rather upset with how long it took  
him. He was not back to full strength, plus that Light Arrow had hurt him. With a cry, he hurled  
the ball of magic at the pyramid.  
  
Link grabbed a small, blue gem from a pouch on his tunic. He used what remaining magical  
energy he had left to form the protective barrier of Nayru's Love around him. Then Link jumped  
out of the ziggurat. Maybe it was a good thing that there was water there.  
  
The ball of magic hit the old temple and exploded. A massive blast spread out from the  
center and consumed the entire island. The blast threw Link out, away from the temple and into the  
sea a good distance away. Once the blast cleared, smoke, dust, and ash filled the air with the  
remains of the cursed island. The Fierce Deity smirked, satisfied with the results. He turned and  
shot away through the air.  
  
Link finally broke the surface of the water, gasping for air. He floated there for several  
moments, watching the wreckage of the island burn. Finally, the Hero pounded the water with his  
fist. "Blast it all!!!" He had to find land. He had to warn the people. No, he needed the Master  
Sword before he could confront the demigod again. But, for now, he just had to reach land. Link  
reached behind his back and pulled out a mask. The mask had an elongated, blue-white face with  
large eyes. It was one of the good masks he had collected on his trip to Termina. Now, Link was  
very glad he had it. A human would not survive out on the sea for long, but a Zora would thrive  
there. Link place the mask on his face, and transformed into a Zora. Trusting his instincts, the Hero  
of Time kicked off and torpedoed through the water. This would be a long swim.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Now  
  
Aryll sat on the topmost peak on Outset Island. She looked around at the sea which  
stretched for miles. The setting sun cast a red glow on everything. A soft breeze rustled the young  
girl's hair. She held several small, white flowers in her hand, and she absently hummed a tune  
which Saria had taught her.  
  
The others were all back down in the village. Aryll had been quite surprised to find out the  
truth about her friend Saria. The green haired girl turned out to be the Ancient Sage of the Forest,  
and was also older that Aryll's grandmother. It turned out that the "Forest Child" had been around  
during Ganondorf's raise to power in ancient Hyrule and had known the Hero of Time well. Aryll  
had also not know that Tetra was the heiress of Hyrule, the Princess Zelda. Apparently, the pirate  
girl did not like to talk about that. Aryll figured that she knew some of the strangest and most  
important people in the world.  
  
Aryll did not even hear the footsteps behind her. She became suddenly aware of the presence  
of another, as she was yanked into the air be a strong arm. She suddenly found herself face to face  
with the scariest thing she had ever seen. It was not the most gruesome or horrifying thing, heck it  
was vaguely hansom, but the lifeless eyes and the simple aura of evil were enough to make the  
young girl nearly wet herself.  
  
A merciless, pale, tattooed face with white hair and eyes scowled at the little girl for several  
silent moments. Aryll trembled, but was unable to look away. Finally, the large man spoke. "What  
is this place?" he demanded.  
  
Aryll's teeth chattered in fear as she stuttered, "Ou-outset Isl-land."  
  
The figures eye's narrowed. "I know not of this place. Where is Hyrule?"  
  
Aryll blinked in surprise. "H-Hyrule?" The man scowled at her. She bit down a scram.   
That wouldn't help her. "I-it's gone. It's at the bottom of the sea."  
  
The man studied her for a moment, deciding whether she spoke the truth. He finally decided  
that she was too scared to lie. That meant that the world had greatly changed. How long had he  
been sealed away? "Very well," he said at last. "You will take me to a historian. A Scholar who  
knows history well."  
  
The girl thought for a second. "M-Mr. Sturgeon is a scholar. He knows a lot."  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
Aryll swallowed. "He l-lives in the village," she said, pointing down to the cluster of houses  
far below the cliff they stood near. Lights came from the windows of most houses, making them  
stand out against the darkening landscape.  
  
"You will show me to him," the man commanded before suddenly hoisting her up and  
clutching Aryll under his arm. The girl gave yelp of surprise. Then, she stared down in shock as the  
stranger carrying her began to float over the cliff and down towards the village. 


	6. Heroes

Another chapter! Please send in reviews. Now onward!  
  
Disclaimer: I DO own The Legend of Zelda! Well, at least a copy of the game.   
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Six  
Heroes  
A soaking amphibious figure pulled itself out of the water and onto a sandy beach. It lay  
there for several minutes panting. Finally, the figure pulled itself up and began to inspect the area  
around it. A short distance away, several houses sat on the small island. Past them was another  
island of the same tall, thin build. There were more houses on that island. The two islands looked  
to be very close together. The figure spied a small bridge connecting the two.  
  
The strange creature lifted its hands to its face and appeared to be attempting to pry its face  
off. With a faint glow of blue light, the figure morphed into a green clad boy holding a mask.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Link the Hero of Winds was out in front of his house. He was standing opposite Saria, who  
held her ocarina up to her lips. As she blew out notes, Link tried to follow along with the  
conductor's rod known as the Wind Waker. Medli stood nearby, holding her hard and doing the  
same. Makar was also trying to follow along on his violin. Tetra sat cross-legged on the ground a  
little ways away listening. So far, Makar was having the best luck at learning the songs Saria was  
teaching. She watched as Link messed up again and blushed. Tetra couldn't help but smirk. Link  
may have been the holder of the Wind Waker, but apparently his sister was the better musician.   
Saria had given her an ocarina and taught Aryll all these songs already. Of course, Aryll didn't  
know that some of them had magical powers.  
  
Tetra sighed and allowed her gaze to drift. That is when she notices a strange sight.   
Hovering several stories above the ground was a pale figure, who was slowly floating downward.   
He had pale skin and hair. He wore silvery armor and blue-gray clothes. In one hand he held a  
massive sword which was slung over its shoulder. In its other arm it held a blond haired figure.   
Tetra quickly realized that the figure was Aryll.  
  
"What in the Triforce is that?!" she cried, jumping to her feet.  
  
The others quickly turned away from their music and followed Tetra's gaze. The vaguely  
familiar figure was lowering closer to the ground. Link's hand instinctively went to his sword and  
rested there. He tensed further when he realized that the figure was carrying his sister. The others  
all stared at the figure and tensed, except for Saria. Her eyes went wide and her ocarina fell to the  
ground. She knew what that was, but she didn't want to believe it.  
  
As the figure prepared to land, Link raced over to where it was. The others followed him.   
"Who are you? What are you doing with my sister?" the Hero of Winds demanded.  
  
The Fierce Deity turned at the sound of a demanding voice behind him. For a second, the  
demigod was shocked by the appearance of the green clad boy, but quickly realized that it was not  
the Hero of Time. The Oni slowly turned to face the small crowd of rather agitated children forming  
behind him.  
  
The boy who had addressed him wore green like the Hero of Time. His hand rested on the  
hilt of a sword that was slung over his back. A girl next to him gripped the handle of a dagger. A  
slow smile spread over the deity's face. What feisty children. He shifter the girl under his arm.   
"This is your sister?"  
  
The boy nodded. "Let her go."  
  
The Fierce Deity raised an eyebrow. "Are you ordering me around, boy? Your sister is  
going to help me with something. Then I will release her, unless you anger me. Then I will destroy  
this puny island and everyone on it." The boy recoiled in surprise at the threat, and the power he  
could feel behind it.  
  
"She cannot be of much use to you, God of Wrath. Let her go."  
  
The Fierce Deity (and everyone else) turned his attention to the green haired girl who had  
spoken. His smile turned into a teeth-baring grin. "Well, well. The little Sage. What a surprise to  
find you here."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Hero of Time trudged along the small island he was on. He would try the other island  
close by. It had some kind of village. He would need to find out where he was and how to get to  
Hyrule. He would need the Master Sword before confronting the Fierce Deity again. He would also  
need to restock on arrows soon. Not to mention that he was very, VERY hungry.  
  
As Link passed one of the house on his current island, he noticed a archery target set up.   
Three arrows were lodged in the target. Link stopped for a moment and decided that he needed the  
arrows more than their owner. If he got a chance he would by whoever that was some new ones.   
Link walked up to the target and pulled the arrows out. They were old, but usable. He stuck them  
in his empty quiver and continued on his way.   
  
As Link came up to the bridge that connected the two islands, he noticed a figure descending  
from the sky and landing in the middle of the village. Link just stared for a minute. Had the  
goddesses turned against him? What was the Fierce Deity doing here?! Link stood there for a  
minute uncertain. How could he hope to face the demigod without the Master Sword and with only  
three arrows. Then he thought about the people of the village. Actually, he thought that the angry  
god might have been carrying a person before he landed. Link scowled. He would have to find a  
way. With that, the Hero of Time began to run across the bridge.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Saria stood before the Fierce Deity, refusing to be intimidated. The demigod smirked down  
at her. The Forest Sage steadied herself before addressing the demon again. "How did you get  
free?"  
  
The god shrugged, still smirking. "I guess that seal was not as good as you thought." He  
walked up closer to her. "But, now that you're here, perhaps you can help me instead."  
  
Saria took a step back. "And why would I help you?"  
  
The deity's smirk never faltered. "Well, I suppose you might not. But that depends on  
whether or not you want me to snap this girl's neck."  
  
Saria stood there for a tense moment with wide eyes. Link looked about ready to charge,  
which would NOT be a good idea. Tetra was doing her best to hold him back, though she looked  
very worried. Finally, the Sage of the Forest scowled. "What do you want?"  
  
The demigod grew somewhat more serious, though he still smirked. "You will answer my  
questions. How long have I been sealed?"  
  
Saria blinked in surprise. He wanted her to answer questions? Of course, he had been  
sealed away for a long time. It made sense. Finally, Saria answered, "For a little over two hundred  
years."  
  
The demigod nodded slightly. "What happened to Hyrule?"  
  
"Ganon attacked after you were sealed. The gods sealed Hyrule under the sea to prevent his  
evil from spreading."  
  
The Fierce Deity smirked. "Not that tough without you Hero of Time, are you?" he jeered.  
  
Link was still scowling at the man or god or demon or whatever it was that held his sister.   
Beside him, Tetra gave a small gasp. "Link!" she whispered.  
  
He turned an eye towards her, signaling her to continue. "That man, he looks like that statue  
we found!" she whispered again.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Tetra nudged him in the ribs. "That island that blew up, remember? He looks like the guy  
in that statue. The one fighting the Hero of Time. Remember?"  
  
Link nodded. "You're right. That's him."  
  
The Fierce Deity asked Saria several more questions along the same lines as the others.   
Finally he smirked. "Very well. I understand what has happened now." He grinned rather cruelly.   
"Thank you, Sage of the Forest," he said with mock gratitude.  
  
Saria stiffened. "Now let her go. You have what you want."  
  
The Oni grinned and unceremoniously dropped Aryll to the ground. She quickly got to her  
feet and nervously backed away from the demigod. She began to circle around him to get to her  
brother. "A deal is a deal," the Fierce Deity said in a voice that was far to sweet. "I will not snap  
her neck." Aryll began to move towards Link. The Oni grinned. "I will cut her in half instead."  
  
Link spun from facing his sister to facing the Fierce Deity, just as the evil god raised his  
massive sword to strike the helpless girl. With trained reflexes, Link drew his sword and shield and  
transplanted himself between the demon and his sister. The blow landed on the sword, which was  
crossed in front of the shield. Link staggered under the force of the blow. The Fierce Deity grinned.   
This might be a little fun.  
  
The Oni pulled back his sword and struck again. Link also blocked this. On the third time,  
Link dodged the blade, his arms were getting numb from blocking such powerful blows. Tetra had  
quickly gotten Aryll, Medli, and Makar back a safe distance. She know stood poised just outside of  
the fight, dagger drawn. Saria stood a little further back.  
  
After dodging another slow but powerful blow, the Hero of Winds leapt into the offensive.   
He attacked with a high vertical slash, followed by a horizontal cut and a thrust. All were parried  
with ease by the demigod. Link realized that his opponent was much faster then he had let on, and  
that the first few blows had been lazy and halfhearted.   
  
Link was soon thrown onto the defensive again, as the god of wrath lashed out again, this  
time with greater speed and power. The Hero of Winds struggled to stay on his feet and deflect the  
blows. When he got a chance, Link leapt backwards, out of range. He quickly threw his boomerang  
at the demigod. The Fierce Deity calmly chopped the weapon in half in midair. Link blinked in  
surprise. *Well crap.*  
  
Collecting himself, Link charged again. He swung as rapidly as he could. He was mildly  
satisfied to see that the demigod was having trouble blocking all his attacks. The new Hero began to  
press his opponent back. The Fierce Deity was quite surprised by this boy, who was now holding his  
own. The kid was almost as good as the Hero of Time. And he looked like him, too.  
  
Finally, the demigod got an opening and raised his sword. He swung it straight down, but  
Link had already leapt out of range. Unfortunately, the boy had not been expecting the blue disk of  
magic that shot out of the sword. It exploded against him, lifting him off his feet and dropping him  
back down over ten feet away.   
  
As Link struggled back to his feet, the Fierce Deity raised one hand and gathered a ball of  
magic. Link raised his sword and shield, bracing himself. The Oni grinned and stretched his hand  
out to the side, firing his magic ball. Straight at Aryll.  
  
Aryll cried out in surprise. Link tried to run to his sister, but only made a couple of steps  
before the energy reached her and exploded, sending up a could of dust. Everyone froze, staring at  
the spot where the explosion had occurred. The Fierce Deity just grinned and lowered his hand.  
  
Link began to tremble in rage. Tetra was frozen in shock. Saria gritted her teeth, a tear  
steaming down her cheek. Link turned to face the god of wrath, his knuckles turned white from his  
tight grip on his sword. The Fierce Deity chuckled.  
  
"Is something funny, Oni?"  
  
Everyone turned back to the sight of the explosion, where the dust had begun to clear.  
  
There stood a blond haired boy about Link's age, wearing green clothes. A faint blue,  
diamond shaped aura surrounded him, but dissipated. Behind him stood the trembling form of  
Aryll.  
  
The Fierce Deity scowled. "So you survived." Saria gasped and stared at the newcomer,  
wide-eyed. Everyone else just stared.  
  
Finally, the Oni grinned. He hoisted his massive sword up onto his shoulder. "Looks like it  
is time to finish this. The first move is yours, Hero of Time." 


	7. When Worlds Collide

Hello there! Back with another chapter. Unfortunately, I won't be updating until at least Thursday  
this week. I have kind of dug myself into a hole in Calculus 2. I'm spending next week off my  
comp and catching up. The test is Thursday, so I MIGHT update after it. Big MIGHT. Also, on a  
shameless advertising note, if you at all like Dragon Ball Z, be sure to check out my DBZ stories,  
which can be accessed through my bio. Now on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: idonotownthelegendofzelda. Happy?  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Seven  
When Worlds Collide  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
"Is something funny, Oni?"  
  
Everyone turned back to the sight of the explosion, where the dust had begun to clear.  
  
There stood a blond haired boy about Link's age, wearing green clothes. A faint blue,  
diamond shaped aura surrounded him, but dissipated. Behind him stood the trembling form of  
Aryll.  
  
The Fierce Deity scowled. "So you survived." Saria gasped and stared at the newcomer,  
wide-eyed. Everyone else just stared.  
  
Finally, the Oni grinned. He hoisted his massive sword up onto his shoulder. "Looks like it  
is time to finish this. The first move is yours, Hero of Time."  
  
NOW:  
  
The Hero of Time made no move. He stood their and eyed the situation. There was a kid  
who looked and dressed strangely like him, who had been fighting the Fierce Deity. And doing  
surprisingly well. There was the little girl hiding behind him. She seemed to be his clone's sister.   
There was another girl, dressed like a sailor. She seemed oddly familiar, but Link couldn't place it.   
There was a crowd gathering around. Several people stayed closer to the fight than the others.   
There was a girl how looked rather bird-like, Saria, a little wooden thing, several pirates . . . . Wait a  
second!!! SARIA?!?!?! What was she doing here?!  
  
Link gaped at the Forest Sage, who was staring right back in shock. Their eyes met.   
However, before either could say or do anything, they were interrupted. "Are you going to stand  
their all day?" the god of wrath demanded.  
  
Link turned his attention back to the demigod. He would worry about Saria's unexpected  
appearance later. He had other things to do. Unfortunately, the only thing he could hurt the Fierce  
Deity with were Light Arrows. And Link only had three arrows. How could he guarantee that he  
would hit?   
  
The Hero of Time finally straightened. Strangely, a small smirk appeared on his face.   
"Alright, Oni. I'll make a move." The demigod dropped into a defensive position as Link reached  
behind his back. However, the god of wrath blinked in surprise when the Hero pulled a fancy, blue-  
ish ocarina out. Link put the instrument to his lips and began to play a rather cheery song. A bead  
of sweat rolled down the head of the Fierce Deity.  
  
After Link finished the short song, he went still and seemed to zone out. The Oni's eye  
began to twitch. He rested his sword on one shoulder and scratched his head with his free hand.   
What the heck was he doing? Finally, the green clad youth snapped out of his daze. He then  
smirked at the demigod.  
  
"What was that all about?" The Fierce Deity demanded. "I thought you wanted to kill me.   
Or do you not care about your friends that I killed?"  
  
Link scowled. "Don't worry. You'll feel it soon enough." The Hero then pulled out his  
bow and casually notched an arrow. Once in position, the arrow's head began to glow and shine  
with a golden light. The Fierce Deity smirked and gave a slight humph sound. At this range he  
could easily dodge one of those pesky Light Arrows.  
  
Link took careful aim at the Oni, and finally loosed his arrow. The radiant missile sailed  
through the air towards its target. The demigod watched the arrow approach with a bored  
expression. When it got near enough, he prepared ro give a small hop to the side, to avoid the  
projectile. However, that was when the mass of vines and branches shot from the ground and  
wrapped around him, holding him in place.  
  
"What the - ?!"  
  
The Light Arrow hit, shredding the vines, lifting the god of wrath off his feet, and depositing  
him ten or so feet back, smoke rising from his body.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Saria stared in shock at Link, the Hero of Time, who was supposed to be gone forever. Her  
heart skipped a beat when his cerulean eyes locked with hers. She could not break the gaze, nor did  
she want to. Suddenly, the Fierce Deity called out, breaking their gaze.  
  
The Forest Sage blinked in surprise when her old best friend pulled out the Ocarina of Time  
and began to play her song. *What the heck is he doing?* she wondered.  
  
Saria, can you hear me?  
  
The green haired girl nearly jumped out of her boots as the familiar voice rang in her head.  
  
Link?!  
  
Hey there. Long time no see.  
  
Saria blinked in surprise. She mumbled telepathically, B-but . . . wha? . . how? . . . uh . .  
  
Saria! Link's voice rang in her head again. We can talk later. This is an emergency! I  
only have three arrows and I MUST hit the Fierce Deity with them. But, he is too fast and can  
dodge them. Can you help me somehow?  
  
Saria thought for a second. Yes, I think I have something that could work. Just fire at him  
whenever you're ready. I'll hold him in place, she responded through her mind.  
  
Thanks Saria. You're the best.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Link the Wind Waker, Tetra, and the others were understandably surprised when the  
mysterious attacker referred to the newcomer as the Hero of Time. Of course, Link didn't care if he  
was Santa Clause, as long as Aryll was safe.  
  
Now that he thought about it, this new guy DID resemble the statues he had seen of the Hero  
of Time. He also bore a strong resemblance to Link himself.   
  
Of course, the Hero of Winds was as confused as everyone else when his ancient counterpart  
began to play music on an ocarina. When the older Hero went into a kind of trance, Link had no  
idea what was going on. Then, the Hero pulled out his bow.  
  
Link watched with new interest as the Hero of Time prepared what he recognized as a Light  
Arrow. Surprisingly, when the arrow approached the "god of wrath," as Saria had called him, vines  
burst from the ground and held the demon in place. The light arrow hit with a bright flash, and sent  
the god sprawling backwards.  
  
Link turned to the side and spied Saria. Her hands were raised above her head and her eyes  
were closed. Her hair and clothes were being ruffled by a breeze noone else could feel and a green  
aura surrounded the girl.  
  
Link nodded in understanding. What was the point of being a Sage if you couldn't control  
your element? The Forest. Plant life. It made sense.  
  
Another thing also dawned on the Wind Waker. He had been unable to defeat this new  
opponent with his sword. However, the Oni (as the Hero of Time had called it) did not seem to like  
Light Arrows. Link reached for his bow.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Fierce Deity struggled to rise from the ground. The Light Arrow had hit him dead on.   
Being a weapon that used holy light magic, the arrows were placed on the opposite end of the magic  
spectrum as an evil god of darkness. This meant that wounds inflicted by this weapon would not  
easily heal. In fact, weapons of virtue and/or light were the only thing that could hurt or kill the god  
of wrath. The god's inability to dodge the arrow had been quite surprising. It had also cost the  
demigod. He was now fighting with a rather painful injury. He had to be careful, or this could  
possibly cost him his life.  
  
The Fierce Deity struggled to a sitting position. He pressed one hand against his shoulder,  
where some of his armor had been blown off. Red blood trickled from his shoulder and several other  
places. He lifted his head just in time to see a second golden missile rushing towards his head. The  
Oni only had time to raise his arms and cover his face before it hit.  
  
The god of wrath was throw back again, this time he was thrown into and through the stone  
wall of a nearby house. He slowly picked himself up out of the ruble formed by his collision, only to  
find another arrow sailing towards his head. The demigod cursed to himself. Fortunately, before the  
arrow could take off his head, the god's hand brushed against the hilt of his dropped sword. Using  
all his might, the Oni pulled the sword up in front of himself. The Light Arrow hit the blade and  
detonated. The blast knocked the god back to the ground, but did no further injury.  
  
The Hero of Time cursed loudly. He put away his bow and pulled out the Great Fairy's  
Sword, gripping it in both hands. The Fierce Deity noticed this as he began to pull himself back into  
a sitting position. The demigod was puzzled. Why would the Hero switch from a tactic in which he  
was likely to soon kill his opponent. Then he understood. No more arrows.  
  
The god of wrath grinned as he struggled to his feet. The Hero of Time dropped into a ready  
position. The demigod was still holding his bloodied left shoulder. A chunk of the shoulder was  
simply missing. His left arm was also burnt and bloodied, nearly unusable. Smaller wounds dotted  
the rest of the god's body. He was not in good shape. However, the Hero of Time could not injure  
him any further. He smirked.  
  
The Fierce Deity let go of his hurt shoulder and raised his good hand in the air. A large ball  
of magic energy gathered there. However, before the demigod could release the attack, an explosion  
of golden light racked his back, throwing him forward and to the ground.  
  
The Hero of Time blinked in surprise. Both he and the Fierce Deity turned their heads. The  
green clad boy from before was crouching on one knee. He held a bow in his hand, aimed at the  
Oni. The boy calmly strung a new arrow, which began to shine with magical light.  
  
The god of wrath cringed. Another boy with Light Arrows? And this one had a full quiver.   
That was not good. The demigod quickly decided that continuing this fight was not in his best  
interest. Quietly, he began to mutter a spell.  
  
The Hero of Time took a step back in surprise when violet flames sprouted from the body of  
the Fierce Deity. The Hero of Winds lowered his bow in surprise and confusion. The flames spread  
across the evil god's body, seemingly consuming it and burning it away. The flame burnt out with a  
soft pop, leaving no trace of the Fierce Deity.  
  
Link the Wind Waker blinked in surprise. "What? Did that kill him?"  
  
"No." The Hero of Winds turned questioningly to the other green clad boy hero. The Hero  
of Time continued. "That was his own spell."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He got away." 


	8. A Link to the Past

Wow! It's an update! Yippie! Sorry about making you wait so long. I prefer to update quickly,  
but I was busy this week. I had to ground myself from the comp to study. Now I'm back! And I  
have a new chapter! Also, I have decided how to denote which Link I am referring to. LinkT is the  
Hero of Time. LinkW is the Hero of Wind. So, on with the story! As always, please be sure to  
drop me a review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own not the Zelda Legend. So to speak.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Eight  
A Link to the Past  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
Link the Wind Waker blinked in surprise. "What? Did that kill him?"  
  
"No." The Hero of Winds turned questioningly to the other green clad boy hero. The Hero  
of Time continued. "That was his own spell."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He got away."  
  
NOW:   
  
The Wind Waker scratched his head. "Oh."  
  
The Hero of Time and the Hero of Wind studied each other for a moment. Finally, the Hero  
of Time opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could say anything, he found himself being  
tackled to the ground, where someone proceeded to both squeeze the breath out of him and give him  
whiplash. LinkT looked down and found a forest of green hair. "Sa-ri-a I c-can't bre-breath!"  
  
The Forest Sage quickly pulled away, blushing furiously. "Uh, sorry, Link. I thought you  
were gone for good!"  
  
LinkT scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "Well, I was supposed to be." Saria  
scowled at him. "But, uh, it looks like someone woke us up."  
  
"Ahem."  
  
LinkT and Saria quickly turned to find the group around staring at them oddly. Both  
quickly climbed to their feet, again blushing. The Hero of Time scratched his head and extended his  
free hand to lookalike. "Uh, hi. I'm Link."  
  
The Wind Waker shook the hand, but blinked in surprise. "Uh, so am I."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
The Wind Waker shrugged. "My name is Link as well."  
  
"Oh." LinkT shrugged. Then he looked thoughtful. "Uh, can anyone tell me where I am?"  
  
Everyone sweat-dropped. Tetra rolled her eyes. "You're on Outset Island."  
  
LinkT blinked. "Where?"  
  
Saria stepped in between them. "I think it's somewhere between where Lake Hylia and the  
Gerudo Fortress used to be."  
  
The Hero of Time looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean 'used to be?'"  
  
Saria gave a sad smile. "Several hundred years ago, Hyrule was buried under this sea.   
These islands are all that is left."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"That is true," the younger green clad boy said stepping forward. "And you were from  
Hyrule? You are really the Hero of Time?"  
  
"Huh?" LinkT turned to his counterpart. "Oh, yeah. I am." He turned back to Saria. "But,  
why the heck was Hyrule flooded?!"  
  
"Ganon returned."  
  
". . . . . oh."  
  
Saria nodded. "Hyrule was flooded by the gods to prevent Ganon from spreading his evil.   
About a year ago, he resurfaced again at full power."  
  
LinkT scratched his head. "But, I didn't think he could do that while the Master Sword was  
in place."  
  
All eyes turned to the Hero of Winds. He blinked in surprise under the stares. "Hey! That  
is NOT my fault!"  
  
The Hero of Time scratched his head and sighed. "You removed the Master Sword?"  
  
LinkW shrugged. "Ganon was already back. I had to use it to stop him. He had kidnaped  
my sister."  
  
LinkT turned to look at the young girl with blond hair standing close to the Hero of Winds.   
"I see. So what happened?"  
  
"Well, I confronted Ganon . . ."  
  
"And had his butt handed to him on a platter," the pirate girl interrupted.  
  
Turning red, LinkW quickly added, "The first time!"  
  
"First Time?" LinkT asked.   
  
The Wind Waker nodded. "The Master Sword had lost it's ability to repel evil. I had to go  
find two new sages for the earth and wind temples to restore the sword. Then I confronted Ganon  
again. That time I won!"  
  
The Hero of Time studied the Wind Waker curiously. "You defeated Ganon?" LinkW  
nodded. "So, where is the Master Sword now?"  
  
LinkW stammered a bit. "Uh, well, it's kinda stuck in Ganon's head. At the bottom of the  
sea."  
  
The Hero of Time looked at him like he was crazy. "What?!" All the others nodded.   
LinkT rubbed his forehead. "Oh boy."  
  
Tetra spoke up again. "How about we go to Link's house. We will explain exactly what  
has happened around here. And you can explain what that thing we fought was."  
  
"Yes, Princess," both Links replied sarcastically in unison. They stared at each other and  
blinked in surprise. Then everyone burst out laughing. Except for Tetra, who was beginning to  
steam.  
  
"Is it THAT obvious?"  
  
LinkT chuckled. "It's the bossy attitude."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"I mean the charming good looks." Tetra glared at the Hero of Time. Everyone else  
laughed even harder.  
  
Then they noticed that the entire village was watching them with surprise and curiosity.   
Everyone suddenly became quiet. LinkW scratched his head nervously. "Uh, we were attacked by  
some kind of demon. Nothing to see now. Sorry about the house, Orca. Well . . . got to go!" With  
that, he quickly headed towards his house. Tetra, Aryll, LinkT, Saria, Medli, and Makar all  
followed. Eventually, the crowd dissipated. Boy, did they have some interesting gossip! Except for  
Orca, who was inspecting his ruined dojo sadly.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Fierce Deity landed heavily on a deserted island. The island was of good size, and he  
decided it would make a suitable base of operations. Until he destroyed the world, that is. The  
bleeding and battered demigod pulled himself up to a large boulder, which covered the middle of the  
island. Raising his hand, he cast a magic spell on the rock. The stone began to shift and stretch. It  
expanded upwards, forming a large stone tower.   
  
Satisfied, the god of wrath, drug himself into the keep. Casting that spell had drained him  
much more than it should have. He was injured and had not completely recovered from being sealed  
away. Now, he needed to heal and replenish his strength.  
  
Then he would worry about how to handle the Hero of Time and his new cohort. Something  
needed to be done about those Light Arrows. Before today, the evil god had been confident in his  
ability to simply dodge them. But the Little Hero Boy was crafty. He would need to be careful.  
  
With that thought, the Oni pulled himself into his new throne room and dropped into a  
healing meditation. This would take a while to heal.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Both Links and the rest of the group were at LinkW's house. His grandmother had provided  
her special soup for everyone. LinkT had been so hungry that he had gotten seconds. And thirds.   
And fourths. Saria had stopped him before he asked for fifths.  
  
While they ate, LinkW and Tetra filled them in or the recent clash with Ganondorf. Aryll,  
Medli, and Makar interjected every now and again with details that had been left out. Saria also  
provided some background information that only she knew.  
  
LinkT listened with great interest to their story. At the end he scratched his chin  
thoughtfully. "So, the Master Sword is sealing Ganon at the bottom of the sea. Along with the  
remains of Hyrule." The others nodded. "Just great," the Hero of Time commented dryly.  
  
"How about you?" LinkW asked. The Hero of Time turned to him questioningly. "What  
was that thing we fought?" the Wind Waker asked.  
  
LinkT nodded. "That was the Fierce Deity. And ancient god of wrath. Shortly after Ganon  
was sealed away in the Sacred Realm, I went on a journey looking for a friend of mine.   
Inadvertently, I wound up in a parallel world called Termina. I was trapped in a time loop,  
repeating the same three days over and over in an attempt to stop and evil force from crashing the  
moon down on the land. The evil force came from a mask, Majora's Mask, which had possessed a  
Skull Kid. When I confronted the mask, which had a will and mind of it's own, I received a new  
mask. This was the Fierce Deity Mask. Majora's Mask treated everything like a game. It wanted  
me to play with it using the mask. I used the mask and was transformed into an unstoppable Oni. I  
easily defeated Majora and saved Termina."  
  
LinkT sighed and continued his story. "I brought the Fierce Deity Mask back to Hyrule  
with me, along with the other magic masks I had collected. I didn't understand the truth about the  
Fierce Deity until later. Several years after my trip to Termina, the spirit sealed within the mask  
broke free. That is the Fierce Deity you saw. He went around Hyrule destroying villages and  
leaving only death in its wake. I pursued the demon-god to Ganondorf's old fortress. There I fought  
the demigod. In the end, I realized I could not win. Any cut my sword made was easily healed, and  
he could dodge my Light Arrows easily. I finally used the Triforce of Courage to seal both myself  
and the god of wrath away in stone."  
  
At this point LinkT shrugged. "We were supposed to stay that way forever. Someone must  
have disturbed the alter." Tetra shifted uncomfortably. "Anyway, now the Oni is back. I have to  
stop him before he goes back to wiping out the people of this world."  
  
LinkW nodded. "I'll help. It's probably our fault the seal was broken. Besides, with you  
and I both shooting Light Arrows, I'm sure we can get him!"  
  
The Hero of Time shook his head. "No, what you saw today was only part of his power. He  
was still recovering from being sealed. Next time we face him he will be at full power. And he will  
have likely taken measures to prevent the use of Light Arrows."  
  
The Wind Waker shrugged. "So, what do we do?"  
  
"We need the Master Sword. It's the only thing I know of that can kill him besides Light  
Arrows."  
  
"But," LinkW continued, "The Master Sword is sealed with Ganondorf at the bottom of the  
sea."  
  
The Hero of Time nodded. "So . . . . anyone know how to raise Hyrule again?" 


	9. Strategies

Hey!! It's another chapter! About time, eh? Sorry about taking so long. It's cram time at the end  
of the semester, which is kind of uninspiring. Next week is finals week. Oh joy. After that,  
however, I should be free for the summer, so I have no excuse not to update. Thank you to everyone  
who has sent me reviews. They are the only reason I could motivate myself to write some more!   
Please be sure to send in more reviews! Thanks. Now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is NOT mine. Oh how I wish it were.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Nine  
Strategies  
  
The Hero of Time sat on the sandy beaches of Outset Island. He gazed out at the sea before  
him. The sea was not visible from the old Hyrule, and the only sea Link had ever encountered was  
in Termina. Now all of Hyrule was covered by the sea. The water was nice, but Link thought that  
this was a little much.  
  
He had arrived on Outset Island the day before. Last night, Link and another bot by the  
same name, had discussed the situation, along with the current Princess Zelda, who preferred to be  
called Tetra, and several others, including Saria. Link had been surprised to find his old childhood  
friend. Pleasantly surprised, of course. Saria was much the same as she had been in Link's time,  
centuries earlier.  
  
The Hero crossed his arms behind his head and laid back, enjoying the warm sun. Last  
night, the group had decided to go and discuss things with the three ancient guardian spirits of the  
land, Jabun the Sea Spirit, Valoo the Sky Spirit, and the Great Deku Tree the Earth Spirit. The  
other Link and the pirates had just returned from a year long trip at sea, and wanted to rest before  
leaving again. The would be leaving for Greatfish Isle in three days. Link could understand this,  
but wanted to head out quickly. Time was of the essence. Of course, the Hero of Time would think  
that.  
  
Link was broken from his train of thought as a shadow fell over him. He opened his eyes to  
see a blond haired girl standing over him. She was the other Link's sister, he recalled. Her name  
was Aryll. Link briefly thought of how he wished that he had a family.  
  
The Hero of Time sat up and turned to Aryll. She wore a pink dress which, oddly, had a  
white skull on it. Of course, Link realized this shouldn't be too odd. Most of this girl's friends were  
pirates. Heck, the princess of Hyrule was a pirate!  
  
"Can I help you?" Link asked the girl.  
  
Aryll studied her feet for a minute. "Um, I just wanted to . . . to say thank you for saving me  
yesterday," she stammered. She was always nervous around new people. And this person was an  
ancient hero from legends she had been raised listening to.  
  
Link brushed a few stray stands of hair out of his face. "It's no big deal," he replied. "It's  
what any decent person would have done."  
  
Aryll shook her head. "I was too scared to do anything."  
  
Link grinned. "That's understandable. All things considered, you handled yourself pretty  
well. I've seen grown men run away screaming from the Fierce Deity."  
  
Aryll grinned at this. "Yeah, but I couldn't have done anything even if I wasn't scared.   
How did you survive that blast?" she asked curiously.  
  
Link smiled and pulled a small blue crystal out from a pouch on his belt. He tossed it to  
Aryll, who caught it and studied it for a moment. "Hold that crystal and concentrate on it. Use your  
will to push energy into it."  
  
Aryll closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself  
surrounded by walls of blue magic. She gasped and fell backwards in surprise, losing concentration.   
The blue walls quickly disappeared. Link chuckled. "What was that?" Aryll asked.  
  
"It's called Nayru's Love," Link responded, accepting the crystal back from her. "It's a  
magic spell that can protect you from just about anything. I cast that on myself before jumping in  
front of the blast. I didn't even feel it."  
  
"Wow, that's awesome!" Aryll replied giggling. Link just smiled. "Oh yeah," the young  
girl said, recalling her other reason for coming out here. "Saria said she wanted to see you. She is  
in the Forest of Fairies," Aryll stated, pointing to a path that lead up side of the island. "It's that  
way."  
  
"Thanks," Link said, standing up and brushing the sand off.  
  
"Hey, can I ask you something?" said Aryll suddenly.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Aren't those clothes a little warm?"  
  
Link chuckled. "Yeah, I guess the climate here is warmer than it was in Hyrule." Aryll  
nodded and Link headed off towards the path.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Hero of Winds stood next to Tetra on the dock. The piratess was directing her crew as  
the loaded and unloaded supplies. They had to finish restocking before they could head out again.   
And they were heading out earlier then Link had hoped. He loved the sea and everything, but  
enough was enough! Link stood there, trying to look like he was doing something.  
  
Finally, Tetra quit shouting orders and turned to him. "Bored yet?" she asked.  
  
Link grinned. "Bored? I was having so much fun!" he replied sarcastically.  
  
Tetra smirked and nodded. "Let's go walk around the island." Link nodded and they  
started off. They walked in a comfortable silence for several minutes. Finally, Tetra spoke. "It's  
kind of weird isn't it?"  
  
"What?" Link asked, returning to the real world.  
  
"All of this," Tetra replied, gesturing with her hands. "We're setting out on another  
adventure, and if things go right, we will undo everything we worked for last time."  
  
Link nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess so. Of course, we're still working to save the  
people."  
  
Tetra nodded. "I suppose you're right. We're still the good guys, even if we're releasing  
Ganon again. Hopefully we can handle him. Besides, it will be fun doing something again."  
  
Link raised an eyebrow. "Doing something? What have we been doing the past year,  
then?"  
  
"Sailing around aimlessly," Tetra replied with a smile.  
  
Link chuckled. "Yeah, whatever." He sighed. "I guess it has been a while since we had  
any real action. Peace is kind of boring. Not that I don't like it."  
  
Tetra nodded and looked off to the horizon. "What do you think Hyrule will be like? That  
is, if we raise it again?"  
  
Link shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really seen a continent before. There will  
probably be less water there." Tetra snorted and rolled her eyes at this. Link smiled. "You know, if  
we bring Hyrule back, you would be the queen."  
  
Tetra stopped walking and blinked several times. "I-I hadn't thought of that." She turned to  
Link. "I don't know how to be a queen! Heck, I don't even want to! This is going to be a big  
pain!"  
  
Link chuckled and placed a hand on Tetra's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll work things  
out. I'll always be there to help you."  
  
Tetra smiled faintly and turned to face Link. "Thanks," she whispered, looking deep into his  
eyes. Link was similarly searching her eyes. Neither moved for several minutes. When they finally  
broke eye contact, both blushed and had trouble meeting the others gaze. The walked home  
somewhat awkwardly.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Three days later, Link finished tying the King of Red Lions to the side of the pirate ship.   
The Wind Waker then headed over to where Tetra stood, again barking orders.  
  
"You know, for how she refuses to acknowledge being a princess, she sure likes to be in  
charge."  
  
Link chuckled and turned to see Saria standing next to him. "I guess you're right. She's not  
really that bossy, though, once you get to know her."  
  
"Uh huh," Saria said, nodding her head dramatically and giving Link a strange look.  
  
"What?" The only answer Link got was Saria smirking at him.  
  
They were soon joined by the Hero of Time and the two Sages of the Master Sword. Soon  
after, Tetra and Aryll joined the group, announcing that they were leaving now. Aryll had begged  
and pleaded to come along. Seeing as how they were only planning on visiting the spirits of the land  
and not engage in any combat, LinkW had finally agreed. LinkT had poked a few jokes about  
overprotective brothers.  
  
The whole group waved goodbye as they sailed away from Outset Island. One of the  
neighbors had agreed to look after LinkW's grandmother while they were away.  
  
Soon, they were off. LinkW had conducted a strong wind to take them to Greatfish Isle  
quickly. LinkT and Saria had taken to sitting on the side of the ship, playing their ocarina's while  
Aryll listened. Medli and Makar had soon joined in. LinkW and Tetra had joined the group later on  
and listened along with Aryll. Things seemed to be going well as they all headed out on a new  
adventure.  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
Inside of a cold, stone tower the Fierce Deity sat with its arms folded and eyes closed. It had  
taken several days to heal from the disastrous encounter with the Hero of Time and the other young  
hero. The Oni had been contemplating his opponents constantly. The only real problem he faced  
was the use of Light Arrows. He had been trying to find a way to overcome these annoying  
weapons.  
  
After much consideration, the demigod had decided on a course of action. This land, which  
was once Hyrule, was now governed by three spirits. Perhaps these deities could be used to help  
him. Naturally, the Fierce Deity knew that they guardian spirits would not willingly help him, but if  
he could use their powers he could possibly overcome his weakness to light. These spirits would be  
naturally alined with the light. They could be used to overcome it.  
  
The now healed god of wrath stood and floated above the ground. Around him, the tower  
collapsed. He would build a better fortress later. Now he had to find one of the spirits. The  
demigod had heard that one of the Great Windfish inhabited the seas acting a the Spirit of Water.   
The Fierce Deity would go find this spirit. The evil god held a bit of a grudge against the Windfish.   
They had sided against him long ago, when he had first been sealed in the mask. Now he could  
make one of the last of their kind pay. He grinned evilly and began to fly over the waters. 


	10. The Lord of the Seas

Hey there again! I'm back with another update. I figure I should get a few in before finals week  
starts. Shiver. As many of you figured, this story will have LinkW/Tetra material. I'm not sure  
about the LinkT/Saria, but it's possible. Saria is one of my favorite characters. I'm also considering  
a few *interesting* plot twists. We'll see. Now, on with the story! Please be sure to send me  
reviews! They are much appreciated!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, Link on WW would have proportional  
legs.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Ten  
The Lord of the Seas  
  
Everyone on the pirate ship were manning their assigned posts as they approached Greatfish  
Isle. Actually, they approached what was lest of the isle.  
  
The Hero of Time let out a low whistle. "Gee, you weren't kidding about this place. It's  
trashed."  
  
The Hero of Winds nodded. "Yeah. Ganon did this trying to find Lord Jabun. The water  
spirit only returned here after Ganon was defeated." LinkT nodded.  
  
"So, do we know exactly where we can find this Lord Jabun?" Tetra asked.  
  
LinkW shrugged. "I'm not too sure. All I know is that he is somewhere around here."  
  
"Let me try to bring him out," LinkT said, pulling out the Ocarina of Time. He put the  
instrument to his lips and began to play a song that the others had never heard.  
  
When LinkT had finished, Tetra turned to him. "What was that song?" she asked.  
  
"That was the song of the royal family of Hyrule. It's also called Zelda's Lullaby."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Miss Tetra! Look over here!" one of the pirates bellowed, pointing off the side of the ship.   
Everyone turned to where he was pointing. The water stirred and the rose, parting as the large form  
of a whale-like creature surfaced.  
  
"So this is Lord Jabun," Tetra mused to herself. The water spirit opened its mouth and  
uttered several words in a language the pirate princess did not understand.  
  
LinkW slapped himself on the forehead. "I forgot! I can't understand a thing he says!"   
Beads of sweat rolled down everyone else's foreheads.  
  
LinkT looked curiously at the large fish. "Lord Jabu-Jabu?" he asked a loud. The massive  
fish turned slightly, resting it's eyes on the Hero of Time. Again, it spoke in a strange language, this  
time with a bit more of a surprised tone. LinkT nodded his head. "Yes, it's me," he said to the fish.  
  
LinkW lifted an eyebrow. "You can understand him?"  
  
LinkT nodded. "Lord Jabu-Jabu speaks an ancient Hylian dialect," Saria interjected. "It  
was not so uncommon in Hyrule centuries ago."  
  
"Oh. Why are you calling him Jabu-Jabu?"  
  
"That was his name back in Hyrule."  
  
"Oh."  
  
LinkT turned back to the great fish. "Lord Jabu-Jabu, we need your help. The Fierce Deity  
has returned. My seal was broken. We need to know if there is any way to raise Hyrule again."   
The fish deity paused for several moments before uttering another string of words.  
  
LinkT nodded. "Yes, I know. However, the only way we can face the Oni is to use the  
Master Sword." Again, Lord Jabu-Jabu replied in his ancient language.  
  
"I am well aware of this," LinkT replied. "However, we must choose between the lesser of  
two evils. There is no other way." Again, the Lord of the Seas paused before replying.  
  
The Hero of Time scratched his head. "How do we do that? The only entrance was in  
Hyrule, at the bottom of the seas." Lord Jabun again replied in his ancient tongue. This time he  
spoke for a longer period of time.  
  
Once the sea spirit had finished, Saria interjected. "Are you sure we can get in through  
there?" Again Jabun replied.  
  
The great fish's eyes darted around the seas. He uttered more words in a hurried voice.   
LinkT nodded. "Alright. Thank you for your help. We will go now as quickly as we can." Jabun  
replied with a short utterance.  
  
The Hero of Time nodded and turned to Tetra. "We need to head for Dragon Roost Island  
as quickly as possible. Lord Jabu-Jabu said that time is very short. I'll explain once we are under  
way."  
  
Tetra nodded and turned to the sailors. "Alright you scurvy dogs! You heard him! Set sail  
for Dragon Roost Island and step on it!"  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Once Greatfish Isle had been reduced to a speck on the horizon, LinkW, Tetra, Medli,  
Makar, Aryll, LinkT, and Saria convened in the captain's quarters.  
  
The Hero of Time began to explain to the others what was happening. "Lord Jabu-Jabu said  
that the Triforce was what buried Hyrule originally. As such, we have to use it to raise Hyrule  
again."  
  
"How exactly do we do that?" Medli asked, shifting in her seat.  
  
LinkT continued, "The Triforce currently rests in the Sacred Realm. With Ganon sealed in  
stone in this world, the Triforce was returned there. The land is once again a paradise of light.   
Originally, the only entrance was through the Temple of Time in Hyrule City."  
  
Saria continued for him, "However, when Ganon escaped his imprisonment in the Sacred  
Realm centuries ago, he drove the Gorons from Death Mountain and set up his head quarters there  
for the invasion of Hyrule. This was when the gods flooded Hyrule."  
  
LinkW nodded thoughtfully. "Alright . . . but what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Saria rolled her eyes. "When Ganon escaped he created a connection between the Sacred  
Realm and Death Mountain. Using that connection, Lord Jabu-Jabu said that we could enter the  
Sacred Realm and use the Triforce."  
  
Tetra nodded. "Okay, so we have to go to this 'Death Mountain' place. Do you mean that .  
. . ?"  
  
Saria nodded and interrupted. "Death Mountain is now Dragon Roost Island."  
  
"So the entrance to the Sacred Realm was at my home the whole time?" Medli asked. Saria  
nodded.  
  
"Alright," LinkW said. "So we're going to go get the Triforce. Again."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Lord Jabu-Jabu watched the pirate ship sail away. He had not been jokin about the ergency  
of the situation. When the ship fianlly sailed over the horizon, the Spirit of the Sea turned around.  
I know thou art here, Oni, he called out. Show thyself!  
  
The Fierce Deity descended upon the water before the great fish. He smiled rather  
sadistically. "So, you are the Spirit of the Seas, great Windfish? How amusing."  
  
Jabun stared down the demon. Thou shalt not destroy this world, Oni.  
  
"Is that so? I guess we shall see."  
  
The large fish narrowed his eyes. What do ye want?  
  
Again, the demigod grinned. "I seem to be having a slight problem. You see, the Hero of  
Time has arrows of light that I cannot defend against. These things are quite annoying."  
  
This concerns me how? Jabun asked, his voice rising.  
  
"Well," the Fierce Deity replied, "I was hoping you could help me find a way to defend  
against this."  
  
Thou knowest I will not aid thee. Why trouble thyself?  
  
The demigod grinned. "Oh, your cooperation is not required. I merely need to extract the  
information from your mind, Windfish."  
  
Thou shalt not find that task easy, demon.  
  
"Let's find out," the god of wrath replied hoisting up his massive sword. Lord Jabun cried  
out in an ancient tongue and the oceans stirred. A pillar of water erupted under the evil god.  
  
The Fierce Deity floated out of the water, annoyed, only to find spears of ice flying at him.   
He skillfully began to dodge the magic projectiles. "Is this the best you've got?" he called,  
shattering an ice spear with his sword.  
  
Lord Jabu-Jabu began to swim away from the demigod. "Running away?" the Fierce Deity  
called after him.  
  
If thou wantest mine knowledge, thou must give chase. Or else leave now.  
  
"Have it your way," the Oni replied, flying after the Windfish. Lord Jabun called upon the  
sea and the powers of water to slow his pursuer. Not actually trying to flee, the Lord of the Seas  
only wanted to stall the Fierce Deity.  
  
The demigod chased after the last of the Windfish for a very long time. He was surprised at  
how well his opponent could fend him off. Lord Jabun's powers were not very good for attacking an  
opponent, but they were excellent for defense. In all, the pursuit lasted well over a week, neither  
party relenting. The traveled many, many miles from Greatfish Isle in their confrontation.  
  
In the end, however, the Fierce Deity finally caught up with the Spirit of the Sea. The two  
battled using magic until finally, the god of wrath prevailed.   
  
The Oni floated next the immobile form of Lord Jabu-Jabu. He place a hand upon the  
Windfish. "Now, let us see what you know. It had better be worth all the trouble."  
  
The Fierce Deity closed his eyes and began to read the Lord of the Sea's mind. Suddenly,  
the ogre-god's eyes snapped open. "Impossible! How could it be so unguarded.?"  
  
He again focused on reading the fish's mind. A smile slowly formed on the Oni's lips. At  
last, he pulled away. "It is better than I ever anticipated! I will become invincible!" he cried,  
laughing maniacally.  
  
The demigod then turned to his opponent. He grinned cruelly. "No, I will not kill you.   
That would be too kind of me." He raised a hand. Lord Jabu-Jabu levitated out of the water. With  
the flick of a wrist, an egg shell formed around the spirit. "You will sleep forever, Windfish, trapped  
in your own dream."  
  
The egg containing Jabun rose in the air. A large island shimmered into existence  
underneath it. The egg rested at the peak of the island. A shadowy figure emerged from the Fierce  
Deity and entered the egg. "My nightmare will keep you sealed here, on the island created by your  
own dream. May you never wake, Windfish."  
  
As the Fierce Deity flew away, people began to emerge on the new island. All were the  
product of Lord Jabu-Jabu's dreams. The people inhabited this island. They called it Koholint. 


	11. The Golden Land

Heeellllllloooooooooo!!! I'm back! Guess what! Finals are over!! Yeah! Now that school is out,  
  
I have no excuse not to update. So I guess I will have to do so more often now. Alright! Let's get  
  
cracking! First off, I would like for you to understand the timeline I am basing the fic off of. The  
  
games go in this order chronologically: OoT - MM - WW - LoZ (original) - AoL (Zelda II) -  
  
LttP. LA either fits after Aol or LttP, I'm not sure. I have no idea where the Oracle games go. FYI:   
  
this is the Japanese Timeline. Lots of people say LttP goes before the original, but that is only in  
  
America. I'm going with the original (true) Japanese Timeline. Also, I have decided that this will  
  
NOT be a LinkT/Saria fic, despite how much I like Saria. You will find out why soon. On a side  
  
note, who has seen The Matrix Reloaded? Good movie, although there is so much fist fighting it  
  
gets a little repetitive. Now, on with the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I should!  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
The Golden Land  
  
The trip between Greatfish Isle and Dragon Roost Island had taken several days. When the  
  
great pirate ship had arrived in Rito Waters, LinkW and Aryll had boarded the King of Red Lions,  
  
while Tetra, LinkT, Saria, and Makar had boarded the pirates landing boat. Medli had flown ahead  
  
and waited for them on the shore.   
  
When the away group landed, several Rito were waiting with Medli, including Quill. The  
  
Rito welcomed the odd group warmly. Medli, LinkW, and Tetra were all held as heroes for their  
  
fight against Ganondorf. Tetra sighed. They were probably the only pirate group that was  
  
welcomed wherever they went.  
  
The Rito chieftain, along with his son Komali, greeted the travelers formally. He shook  
  
hands with LinkW, Tetra, and Medli. "May I ask what brings you here today?" he finally asked.  
  
Medli answered for the group. "We are here to see the Great Valoo. It is very important."  
  
The chief nodded thought fully. "I see. Of course you may go visit him whenever you  
  
want." Medli nodded.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Komali asked LinkW.  
  
The Wind Waker grinned slightly. "Well, we have a slight problem with an ancient demon.   
  
Hopefully, though, that will be resolved very soon."  
  
"A demon? Really?" the prince asked excitedly.  
  
LinkW shrugged. "Shouldn't be anything too major. Hopefully Valoo can help us."  
  
The chief smiled and put a hand on his son's shoulder, quieting the child. "I'm sure you are  
  
a hurry. Why don't you go see the Great Valoo now. Perhaps we can talk later." Komali nodded in  
  
agreement with his father.  
  
"He's right. We really don't have much time."  
  
Everyone turned to LinkT, who had spoken. The chieftain tilted his head slightly. "I'm  
  
sorry, but I don't think I know you."  
  
The Hero of Time nodded. "We have never met. My name is Link. Just like him," he said,  
  
gesturing to LinkW. "And this," he continued, turning to the Sage of the Forest, "Is Saria. She is a  
  
friend and has been staying with Link and Aryll for a while."  
  
The chief nodded. "It is nice to meet you. Good luck to you all," he said. With that, the  
  
Rito took flight back up the mountain to their homes.  
  
The group from the pirate ship slowly made their way up the mountain on foot. Medli, who  
  
had trained to be a servant of the Great Valoo, led the way. Eventually, they entered the Rito city  
  
that was carved inside of the mountain.   
  
As they followed Medli through the city towards the path that lead to the peak of the  
  
mountain, LinkT let his eyes wander over the cavernous city. He let out a soft whistle. "This is just  
  
like Goron City was." he thought out loud.  
  
"What city?" asked the Hero of Winds, who was walking next to him.  
  
"Huh? Oh. Back in my time, a race called the Gorons lived here on Death Mountain. They  
  
ate rocks and lived in caves. Their city was inside the mountain, just like this one. For all I know,  
  
this may even be the same city."  
  
The Hero of Winds nodded. "I see. So, someone lived here before the Rito." LinkT  
  
shrugged and nodded. They continued the walk in silence.  
  
Eventually, Medli led the group to the peak of the mountain. They had to go though Dragon  
  
Roost Cavern to get there, but with both the Hero of Winds and the Hero of Time, is was a cinch.   
  
They finally arrived before the great red dragon, Valoo. The dragon muttered a few words in a  
  
strange language.  
  
LinkT scratched his head. "Uh, I hope you guys can understand him. Because I sure can't.   
  
He speaks a different dialect than Jabu-Jabu."  
  
Medli smiled. "Don't worry. I was trained to work here. I can understand him." LinkT  
  
nodded in relief. Medli continued, "Lord Valoo just greeted us and asked why we were here." She  
  
turned back to the dragon. Great Valoo, we have come at the bidding of Lord Jabun. We are on an  
  
urgent mission and must enter the Sacred Land to find the Triforce. Lord Jabun instructed us to  
  
come here. He said that years ago, Ganon created a connection between this mountain and the other  
  
realm, so we could enter though here."  
  
The dragon nodded thoughtfully before speaking again in his strange language. Medli  
  
turned back to her friends. "He asked if this has anything to do with the evil presence that he had  
  
felt enter the world."  
  
LinkT nodded. "Most likely. Ask him how we can get into the Sacred Realm."  
  
Medli nodded and turned back to the dragon. She shouted up to him, "We believe it does.   
  
An ancient demon called the Fierce Deity has been reawaken. Can you tell us how to enter the  
  
Sacred Realm from here?"  
  
Valoo was silent for a moment before he replied. He muttered several words and then pulled  
  
himself onto his hind legs. "He said he will show us the way," Medli whispered back to the others.  
  
Valoo took a few steps over to a rock outcropping. The dragon hunched over and gripped  
  
the rock with his clawed hands. With a grunt of effort, he pulled upwards, lifting a large boulder up.   
  
He tossed the boulder aside and turned back to the groove now in the outcropping. The dragon took  
  
a deep breath and sprayed his fiery breath over the rock. Remaining stoned in the groove were either  
  
blown away or melted in the blast. A cloud of smoke and dust rose.  
  
Once the dust cleared and settled, a stone stairway was revealed in the rock. It lead up  
  
around twenty or so feet to a flat clearing. Valoo turned back to Medli and uttered several more  
  
words. The Rito girl blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked. The dragon said something else  
  
before returning to his position on the peak of the mountain.  
  
"What did he say?" Tetra asked.  
  
Medli turned to her and shrugged. "He said to play the Song of Time. Then he said that the  
  
Hero of Time would understand."  
  
LinkT raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's strange. But, I do know what he means. Let's  
  
head up there," he said, motioning up the stairs.  
  
The group made their way up the stairs and stopped at the newly revealed clearing. Most of  
  
the small, flat area was covered by a circular grey platform. On the platform was the mark of the  
  
Triforce. LinkT rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see," he muttered. He turned to the rest.   
  
"Everyone on the platform!" he instructed. Once everyone had climbed on (or been lifter on in  
  
Makar's case), LinkT pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He put it to his lips and played a soft tune.  
  
The Triforce mark below their feet began to glow golden once the song was finished. A blue  
  
light rose from the sides of the platform, creating a circular pillar of light in the sky. The  
  
adventurers on the platform felt themselves being lifted up into the air. Then the light intensified,  
  
and everything became a blinding white.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Great Deku Tree sighed in thought as he watched the sky. Several of the Korok  
  
gathered around, also watching. If the feeling of dread that had been covering the land and water as  
  
of late had not been a clue that something was going on, the pillar of light in the sky sure was.  
  
The villagers of Windfall Island all stood on the cliff on one side of the island. Muttering  
  
and gossip filtered through the crowd as they watched a column of blue light in the distant sky.   
  
On Outset Island, the villages gathered on the sea shore. Link ans Aryll's grandmother  
  
stood a few feet away from the rest of the crow. As they gazed at the distant pillar of light, she had a  
  
bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
The pirates left on the ship stared in awe as the pillar of light rose from the nearby island.  
  
Still in the early stages of the chase, Lord Jabu-Jabu turned one eye back toward the former  
  
land of Hyrule. He smiled slightly in satisfaction at the pillar of light that rose many, many miles  
  
away. He just had to keep the Fierce Deity from seeing it and buy enough time.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Hero of Winds felt his feet rest again on solid ground as the world around him melted  
  
back into view. Of course, he wasn't sure it could really be considered a world that he saw.  
  
LinkW and the others now stood on another platform. The one they had just been on was  
  
still under their feet, or else one just like it. Around that platform were six much smaller platforms,  
  
each a different color with a strange symbol.  
  
Aside from the platform they were on, there was no ground. Several other platforms could  
  
be seen floating in the distance. Everything else was just black darkness. Strange lights flashed  
  
around, seemingly falling thought the nothingness. It gave everything a strange glow.  
  
"What is this place?" Tetra asked in awe.  
  
"It's the Temple of Light," LinkT answered. "This is, er, WAS the home of the Sages."  
  
LinkW nodded. "Alright, so where is the Triforce."  
  
"Probably outside," Saria replied.  
  
"Okay, so . . . how do we get outside?"  
  
Saria smiled. "That is easy enough." She stepped off of the gray platform and stood on the  
  
smaller green one. She closed her eyes for a moment. He green hair and clothes were ruffled by a  
  
wind the others could not feel. Then they were all blinded by a sudden flash of golden-white light.  
  
After several minutes, LinkW's eyes adjusted to the sudden light and he could see again. He  
  
looked around. They again stood on the circular gray platform, including Saria who had been on  
  
her own one. This time, however, the platform was in the middle of a giant field of grass. The grass  
  
was vibrantly green and all perfectly kept. It spread for miles.  
  
The air was filled with a golden light that illuminated this world like the sun did Link's own  
  
world. It took several minutes for the Wind Waker to trace the light to its source, the top of a  
  
mountain or pyramid of some type. The structure stood quite a ways away from the group.  
  
Apparently, the others were seeing the same thing. They were looking around in wonder and  
  
making comments about this world. Tetra raised a hand to shield her eyes and looked at the source  
  
of the light. "Is that what we're looking for?" she asked. The others turned to see.  
  
"I imagine it is," Saria replied, also shielding her eyes. "I've never actually seen this place  
  
like this, the way it is supposed to be.  
  
LinkT shrugged. "I guess we better get going. It will take a while to reach that." Just as he  
  
was about to step forward, the grass rustled as if in a strong wind that noone could feel. The bent  
  
grass pointed to the source of the light.  
  
It took several moments before LinkW realized what was going on. "Hey, we're moving!"  
  
he called out. The others murmured in agreement. They were indeed moving towards the light.   
  
Strangely, the closer they got, the light did not intensify, so they did not have to look away.  
  
Eventually the structure came into view. It was indeed another ziggurat. As they neared,  
  
LinkW realized that this one was made of some white-ish metal, either silver or platinum. As they  
  
got even closer, precious stones and traces of gold could be seen. Soon, the traces of gold came into  
  
focus as intricate designs on the building, which seemed to glow itself. In the middle of the visible  
  
side of the pyramid, a gold-lined staircase became apparent, leading up the side. The light was  
  
clearly coming from the top of the structure.  
  
The group reached the foot of the stairs and stopped. The grass ceased its movement and  
  
stood straight once again. The group looked around for a minute.  
  
"Sure beats walking," the Wind Waker commented.  
  
Tetra nodded. "That was sure . . . weird." The others nodded.  
  
"I guess we should climb the stairs," LinkT said. The two green clad heroes led the group  
  
up the tall flight of stairs in silence.  
  
When they reached the top, the group found a large, flat surface. In the middle was a  
  
circular pedestal. Above the pedestal floated a large golden triangle, made up of three smaller  
  
triangles. From these triangles, the golden light shone. Despite their proximity to te source, the  
  
group found themselves able to gaze unblinkingly at the ancient artifact, the Triforce.  
  
LinkT let out a low whistle as the group approached the sacred object. They came to stand  
  
before the triangle.  
  
~You who have sought out the Power of Gold, what is your wish?~  
  
The entire group stepped back in surprise as the voice filled the air around them. The voice  
  
was clearly female. It seemed to be the voice of one person and, at the same time, several voices.   
  
LinkW quickly realized that it was the Triforce speaking to them.  
  
LinkW was about to reply, but Tetra cut him off. "Great Triforce, we need your help," the  
  
Princess of Hyrule began. "The Fierce Deity is threatening this land. We wish that he be destroyed  
  
so that the people can live in safety and peace."  
  
LinkW raised an eyebrow. That wasn't the wish they had intended to make, but would  
  
actually solve their problems better.  
  
The strange, but calming voice replied, ~This cannot be done.~  
  
Tetra blinked in surprise. "What? Why not?"  
  
~Long before the creation of the world, there was the God of Time and Space, Chrono.   
  
Chrono fathered four offspring, Chaos, Order, Life, and Death. Chaos and Death begat the demons,  
  
while Order and Life begat the gods.~  
  
The adventurers listened intently as the Triforce told them the ancient tale. Not just anyone  
  
got an opportunity like this!  
  
~It came to pass that a god by the name of Creation fell in love with a demon named Irony.   
  
The two begat a child who was half god and half demon, Daoshin, the Fierce Deity. It so happened  
  
that, Creation already had three children, his daughters, Din, Farore, and Nayru.~  
  
~The gods were much fewer in number than the demons, but were more powerful. As such,  
  
Daoshin became very jealous of his sisters who were more powerful than he. His jealousy soon led  
  
to hatred, even to a level greater than that of the demons. Daoshin vowed his life to destroying all  
  
that his sisters worked for. He became a deity of wrath and destruction.~  
  
~When the goddesses created their greatest work, the world, Daoshin vowed to destroy it.   
  
The goddesses were tired of their brother's evil ways. They confronted him to defend the world.   
  
Despite their disapproval of him, the Golden Ones could not destroy their own brother. Instead, they  
  
sealed him within a mask. The Fierce Deity Mask hidden away for ages.~  
  
~The Triforce contains the power of the three goddesses. As such, it cannot be used against  
  
the Fierce Deity, their brother.~  
  
Tetra turned back to the others. "It was worth a try," she said and shrugged.  
  
LinkT nodded and stepped forward. "Great Triforce, if you cannot grant that wish, then  
  
grant this one. We wish that the land of Hyrule be restored and raised again above the waves." The  
  
others nodded in agreement with the wish.  
  
The Triforce began to glow brightly.  
  
~It shall be done.~ 


	12. Return to Hyrule

I'm back again! Did ya miss me? Don't answer that. Anyway, I have the next chapter here for  
  
you! And the peasants rejoice. I'll stop talking now and get on with the story. But first, please  
  
be  
  
sure to send in reviews and tell me what you think! Alright, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda . . . . for now.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
Return to Hyrule  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
Tetra turned back to the others. "It was worth a try," she said and shrugged.  
  
LinkT nodded and stepped forward. "Great Triforce, if you cannot grant that wish, then  
  
grant this one. We wish that the land of Hyrule be restored and raised again above the waves."   
  
The  
  
others nodded in agreement with the wish.  
  
The Triforce began to glow brightly.  
  
~It shall be done.~  
  
NOW:  
  
"What is going on?!" cried Linder. He and the rest of the Korok had recently returned to the  
  
Forest Haven. Now the small wooden creatures were crouching low and hollering in panic.   
  
Moments before the ground had begun to shake violently. Now, the Forest Haven did not have  
  
earthquakes, and there were no active volcanoes around, so everyone was in a panic. Everyone,  
  
except the Great Deku Tree. The ancient forest spirit let out a thoughtful hum.  
  
Linder turned to the guardian of the forest. "Great Deku Tree? What is happening?"  
  
"Huh?" the Deku Tree mumbled, snapping out of his reverie. "Oh. Yes. I am not entirely  
  
sure, Linder. However, I have a guess."  
  
"What is it?"another Korok, Drona, asked.  
  
"Well," the Deku Tree began, clearing his wooden throat. "It appears that someone has  
  
entered the Sacred Realm. I believe that they have used the Triforce to return the land of Hyrule.   
  
The rumbling is the land and sea rearranging."  
  
The Korok turned to see out from the Forest Haven. They watched in amazement as their  
  
island seemed to raise further above the now turbulent waters.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Link and Aryll's grandmother hobbled through her house, bracing herself against the door.   
  
The ground was shaking as it never had before. The villagers of Outset Island were running  
  
around  
  
in an uproar. Orca and Sturgeon were trying in vain to calm everyone and keep things in line.  
  
"What is happening?" Grandmother called to someone as they passed by. All she got for an  
  
answer was a panicked shrug.  
  
Grandmother carefully made her way out of the house, towards the main part of the town.   
  
The earth gave a particularly violent shake, and the elderly woman was thrown to the ground.  
  
"What is happening to Link and Aryll?" Grandmother muttered to herself as she struggled to  
  
stand again.   
  
"Careful there, ma'am," came a voice from above. Grandmother soon found herself being  
  
lifted to her feet by Orca. "You alright there?" he asked concerned.  
  
Link's grandmother nodded. "I'm fine. But what is happening to my grandchildren?"  
  
Orca shrugged his shoulders slightly as he supported the old lady and the ground continued  
  
to shake. "I have no idea. But don't worry. I'm sure Link can take care of himself and Aryll."  
  
Grandmother nodded slightly. "I suppose you're right."  
  
"The ocean is shrinking!" came a cry from near the shore. Everyone turned to where Joel  
  
was standing, pointing at the beach. Sure enough, the beach seemed to be growing in size. It had  
  
already expanded out several dozen feet, much further than even low tide.  
  
As the town watched, the water continued to retreat from the island, pulling further away  
  
and down. Soon, a new island peeked through the surface of the water a ways away.  
  
"Is the island growing, or is the water receding?" Sturgeon muttered to himself several feet  
  
away. The entire village watched as the water continued to seep away, revealing strangely grass  
  
covered land. Eventually, the water receded out of their field of vision. The villagers stood there  
  
in  
  
awe, gazing out at the massive land now spread out before them.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Aboard the pirate ship, things had gone completely crazy. The water had become suddenly  
  
turbulent and the nearby island seemed to be shaking. And then, Dragon Roost Island seemed to  
  
begin to grow. It rose higher and higher from the water, towering over the ship.  
  
Mako was running across the unstable deck, when the ship gave a very sudden lurch and he  
  
was thrown to the ground. When he picked himself back up, he realized that the ship was no  
  
longer  
  
rocking and was not moving at all.  
  
"What in the world?" he cried as he ran over to the side railing. He flung himself onto it and  
  
peered over the side of the ship. "What is going on!" he cried in surprise. The pirate ship was  
  
now  
  
lodged on a massive outcropping of rock that was peeking out of the water. The ship was no  
  
longer  
  
touching the sea at all. The land under the ship and Dragon Roost Island both continued to raise,  
  
eventually revealing that the two were connected. The rock the ship was on was a sub-peak of  
  
the  
  
mountain that Dragon Roost now was.  
  
By this time, all the pirates were watching over the side of te boat. The water continued to  
  
recede, revealing foothills and, eventually, flat ground which sprawled out as far as the eye could  
  
see.  
  
"I wish Miss Tetra was here," Nudge muttered out loud. The rest of the crew nodded  
  
silently.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
~It is done.~  
  
The group of adventurers standing before the Triforce turned to each other questioningly.   
  
LinkT and LinkW exchanged glances and shrugged. Tetra scratched her head. "Um, okay. Can  
  
you take us there now?"  
  
~Of course,~ the Triforce replied.  
  
"Wait a sec!" LinkT suddenly interrupted.  
  
~Yes?~  
  
"Uh, could you, maybe give us some horses when we get there. We can't travel by boat  
  
anymore," the Hero of Time reasoned, scratching his head.  
  
~As you wish. You will now be returned to Hyrule.~  
  
LinkW was about to say something, but was cut off as a bright light radiate from the  
  
Triforce, temporarily blinding him. The light did not really hurt his eyes, but he couldn't see past  
  
it.   
  
He also felt he feet gently leave the ground.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Hero of Time felt his feet come to rest on firm ground again, as the bright light began to  
  
fade and his vision returned. LinkT blinked several times and looked down at his feet. His boots  
  
were now standing on damp grass. He looked back up and found the others all there, along with  
  
several fully saddled horses. They were all looking around the area.  
  
LinkT raised a hand to shield his eyes as he surveyed the grassy plain before them. Off in  
  
the distance he could see Death Mountain framed against the horizon. The were indeed in Hyrule  
  
again. They were in the Hyrule Field to be specific, somewhere south of where Lon Lon Ranch  
  
would have been centuries before. They were just a little north of the entrance to Lake Hylia.  
  
The Hero of Time was pulled from his thought as he was nudged on the shoulder from  
  
behind. He turned to find himself looking at the muzzle of a horse. The horse had brown hair  
  
with a  
  
white mane and white on its forehead. The animal gazed at the Hero with its blue eyes. LinkT  
  
blinked in surprise. "E-Epona?" he asked the horse uncertainly.  
  
The horse whinnied in reply and nudged LinkT again with its muzzle. Link chuckled softly  
  
and cracked a lopsided smile. He raised his hand and began to stroke the horse's soft hair.   
  
"Epona,  
  
old girl, what are you doing here?" he asked. In response he got a snort.  
  
"You know that horse?" came a voice from behind. LinkT turned to find LinkW standing  
  
there.  
  
"Well, actually yes," the Hero of Time replied. "This is Epona. She was my horse back  
  
before I was frozen in stone."  
  
The Hero of Winds raised an eyebrow. "Back hundreds of years ago? But shouldn't she be  
  
long dead or something?"  
  
LinkT shrugged in response. Then both Links simultaneously muttered, "The Triforce," as  
  
if that explained everything. Which it did.  
  
The Links turned back to the others. "Alright!" LinkT called to get everyone's attention.   
  
"We are going to need to ride north from here. We are a ways away from Hyrule Castle, which is  
  
where you said you fought Ganon." LinkW nodded in confirmation. LinkT continued, "We are  
  
going there, because that is where the Master Sword will be. Now mount up."  
  
"Um, Link?"  
  
LinkT turned to Tetra. "What?"  
  
"We don't know how to ride horses."  
  
LinkT blinked in surprise for a few seconds. "Okay," he said at last. "Well, um, it's not  
  
that hard. I'll show you all how to do it real quick."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Two hours later, the Hero of Time had a massive headache. He gently massaged his  
  
temples. So far, Saria and Aryll had more or less figured out how to ride their horses. All of the  
  
animals seemed to adore the two girls. LinkW was currently chasing his horse in a circle. Makar  
  
was hiding from a horse who seemed to think he would taste good. Medli was having a starring  
  
contest with her horse. Neither had blinked for over an hour. Tetra and her horse were not  
  
currently  
  
on speaking terms.  
  
LinkT pinched the bridge of his nose and looked back up at the group, hoping that things  
  
would have changed in the last five seconds. They had. LinkW was no longer chasing his horse.   
  
It  
  
was chasing him.  
  
Saria pulled her horse up next to LinkT and Epona. "Hey Link."  
  
"Yes?" Link responded in an exasperated voice.  
  
"How did you originally get Epona to like you?" the Forest Sage asked.  
  
LinkT thought for a moment. "Actually, that gives me an idea." He turned back to the  
  
other, put two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. All the horses and people stopped and  
  
looked at him. "New plan," the Hero of Time informed the others. He pulled the Ocarina of  
  
Time  
  
out and put it to his lips. "Play this tune to your horse on whatever instrument you have." He  
  
then  
  
proceeded to play a short, smooth melody.  
  
Saria was able to repeat the melody to her horse in one try. Aryll got it in two, as did Medli.   
  
LinkW got it soon after. Makar, it was decided, would ride with Medli, seeing as how he could  
  
hardly control a horse on his own. Tetra had her arms folded and faced away from the horse.  
  
LinkW, who was now seated on his horse, sighed. "Come on, Tetra. You have to try it."  
  
The pirate girl shook her head. "I don't play any instrument."  
  
LinkT shrugged. "You can just hum it or something. That's what Malon did, and she  
  
taught me that song." The Hero of Time quickly pushed away the sad feeling that came with the  
  
mention of Malon's name. She hadn't deserved to die.  
  
Tetra glanced around nervously before turning to her horse. She hummed a bit, but you  
  
couldn't tell what it was.  
  
"Um, maybe you could sing it. Just say 'ah' repeatedly changing the pitch each time,"  
  
LinkT suggested.  
  
Tetra swallowed nervously. She again faced her horse. She chanted softly to the tune of the  
  
song. When she was done, the horse trotted over to her and nuzzled her head. Tetra cracked a  
  
slight  
  
grin. Then she noticed everyone starring at her. She turned to glare at them. "What?" she  
  
demanded.  
  
LinkW tilted his head. "I didn't know you could sing."  
  
"So what?" Tetra snapped at him.  
  
"N-Nothing."  
  
"Good."  
  
LinkT scratched the side of his head. "Um, okay. Well, anyway, we should head out now.   
  
Follow me." Everyone who was on the ground climbed onto their horses and the group began to  
  
gallop northwards.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
A torch sprang to life in a sea of pitch black. The torch illuminated the cold stones behind,  
  
above, and below it. Seconds later, a second torch ignited. This one was on a different wall,  
  
perpendicular to the first. Then a third and a fourth torch also came to life. The four torches cast  
  
a  
  
soft, ghostly glow around the dark, cold room. Only the area near the torched was actually  
  
illuminated, the center of the room remained black.  
  
However, in the center of the room, the torch light could be seen reflected along straight  
  
edges and angles. Eventually, the form of a giant crystal could be made out. This particular  
  
crystal  
  
was nearly seven feet tall, and stretched most of the height of the room.  
  
Several moments passed, with the only sound being the gentle cackle of the torches. Then,  
  
with a sudden snapping sound, a large crack formed on the front of the crystal. Seconds later, a  
  
second crack formed. Then a third. Soon, the entire crystal was riddled with cracks. Pieces  
  
began  
  
to chip and fall away, clattering against the stone floor.  
  
With a final shattering sound, the crystal fell apart. Pieces scattered across the ground.   
  
Light from the torches reflected off the pieces at strange and eerie angles.  
  
Everything was still and silent for a minute. And then, a form began to stir in the middle of  
  
the room. 


	13. A Long Lost Friend

Hey there, I'm back again! Yippee. Well, I'm sure you want to know what happened there at the  
  
end of the last chapter. Well . . . you're gonna have to wait a little longer. Muwahahahahaha.   
  
Anyway, here comes the next chapter. Be sure to review and tell me what you think! Now, on with  
  
the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda . . . . for now.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
A Long Lost Friend  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
Link, the Hero of Time, rolled his eyes. "No, Makar. We haven't gotten too far in the last  
  
five minutes!" The last part was said glaring at the little Korok.  
  
"It's only been one day. It will be several more before we reach the castle," Saria  
  
interjected. "Hyrule is a big place, you know."  
  
Makar gave an exasperated sigh. He really did not like traveling by horse back. Medli was  
  
also quite annoyed with it, but that came mostly from sharing a horse with Makar.  
  
"Remind me never to go on long trips with him again," Link, the Hero of Winds, commented  
  
to Tetra, who rode by his side.  
  
The pirate girl rolled her eyes. "You know, you said that several times while we were  
  
searching for a new land."  
  
LinkW nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. But if I ever think about doing it again, just  
  
shoot me."  
  
Tetra grinned. "Be glad to."  
  
LinkW nodded and continued in silence for a few seconds. Then he registered what his  
  
friend hade said. "Hey! Not literally!"  
  
"But you said I could!"  
  
"Aw, come on. I was just kidding!"  
  
"Suuuuuuure. . . ."  
  
"Tetra!"  
  
The Hero of Time exchanged a glance with Saria. They both smirked and nodded. Those  
  
two made quite a comical pair.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Are we lost?"  
  
Linder turned around to glare at Olivio, one of his fellow Koroks. "No, of course we're not  
  
lost!"  
  
"We just don't know where we're going," Rown, another Korok, commented.  
  
Linder glared at him as well. "Look, the Great Deku Tree just told us to go north. He said  
  
we would eventually reach a castle and hopefully be able to find out what has happened to the land."  
  
Olivio nodded and continued walking, but soon stopped. "Uh, Linder? What is a castle?"  
  
This time Linder stopped walking, along with the entire party. Said party consisted of five  
  
Korok along with several fairies and two strange creatures known as Deku Scrubs. After the ground  
  
had stopped shaking and things had settled, the Great Deku Tree had dispatched the group to  
  
head north to the castle. They were to find out what had happened to cause the resurrection of  
  
Hyrule. Linder had been placed in charge of the group, along with two fairies, a blue one and a pink  
  
one. The Deku Scrubs were along to act as protection for the group.   
  
Linder thought for a second. "Uh, well, a castle is . . . . well, we'll know when we see it!"   
  
All the Korok and others groaned.  
  
"Honestly! Don't you know anything?" the blue fairy that was supposed to help lead pipped  
  
up. She fluttered around Linder's head.  
  
The Korok scowled at the floating sprite. "Well, Miss I-Know-Everything, I'm sure YOU  
  
know what we are looking for!"  
  
"Well!" the little fairy replied, raising herself a little higher off the ground. "We fairies  
  
HAVE been around a lot longer than you Korok. And yes, I DO know what a castle is."  
  
The pink fairy flew down near Linder. "You really shouldn't have asked. Now we'll never  
  
get her to shut up."  
  
"Hey! I heard that!" the blue fairy called. "Anyway, a castle is a large stone building  
  
consisting of tall towers and a central keep. It can be used as a luxurious mansion for the royal  
  
family and as a fortress in war."  
  
"Okay, okay. So we're looking for a big stone building. Now we know," Linder quickly  
  
interjected.  
  
However, the interruption was not in time. The blue fairy continued, "Hyrule Castle in  
  
particular is very large and built mostly from white colored stones. It has a moat and a drawbridge.   
  
Actually, the city around the castle has another moat with drawbridge. I've actually been there,  
  
before the whole flood thing. It was a very nice place. I remember . . . "  
  
The pink fairy flew next to Linder, close enough for the Korok to see her roll her eyes.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
LinkT sneezed and rubbed his nose. "Now I remember the bad part about riding a horse."  
  
Saria rode up next to him. "What do you mean? The smell of hair and dust, or the constant  
  
jarring?"  
  
"Or the soreness in your butt?" Aryll added coming up next to Saria.  
  
"Yes," LinkT replied. It was the third day since they had raised Hyrule and begun their trip  
  
to the castle. Things were going smoothly. Everyone seemed to have gotten used to riding on a  
  
horse.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Everyone except Makar.  
  
Medli glared down at the Korok. "If you ask that one more time I'm going to feed you to  
  
the stupid horse!"  
  
Makar seemed to tremble. "Y-you wouldn't!"  
  
"Try me."  
  
LinkW raised an eyebrow at this. Medli must be really mad right now. She was almost  
  
never rude or threatening.  
  
Makar suddenly straightened. "You can't feed me to the horse! You need me to keep the  
  
Master Sword working!"  
  
Medli raised an eyebrow at the Korok's epiphany. "Oh? You can be replaced, you know."  
  
"With who?"  
  
Medli grinned slightly. "Hey Aryll!" she called out. "You ever wanted to be a Sage?"  
  
"Okay, okay! I'll be quiet!"  
  
LinkT sighed and shook his head. LinkW rode up next to him. "Too bad. I was kind of  
  
hoping she would feed him to the horse." LinkT grinned at this and nodded to his counterpart.   
  
The Hero of Time scanned the horizon before them. He squinted. Was there something  
  
glowing up ahead? "Hey, Windy." LinkW glared at being called that. LinkT did not notice. "Do  
  
you see something up ahead there?" he asked, pointing.  
  
LinkW pulled out his telescope. Actually, it was his sister's telescope, he just had yet to  
  
return it. The Wind Waker put the telescope up to his eye are focused on the area in question. He  
  
let out a low whistle. "That is odd."  
  
"What is it?" Aryll asked.  
  
"Looks like several Koroks and a group of fairies. There are also these walking bush-like  
  
things," LinkW replied.  
  
"Here, let me see," LinkT said, taking the telescope. He peered through it. "Those bushes  
  
are called Deku Scrubs. That is an interesting group."  
  
"There are more Korok ahead?" Makar asked.  
  
"Yup," LinkW replied. "I wonder what they are doing out here."  
  
Tetra shrugged. "We can just ask them. We'll catch up with them in a few moments."  
  
It didn't take long to catch up with the entourage from the forest. Tetra, who had the loudest  
  
voice, called out to them while they were still a little ways away and the group stopped to wait for  
  
them. When they got there, the riders dismounted, except for Makar, who Medli unceremoniously  
  
pushed off the horse. The Wind Sage quickly joined his fellow Korok.  
  
"So, who is in charge of this motley crew?" Tetra asked.  
  
"I am!" one of the Korok, who LinkW recognized as Linder replied.  
  
"WE are," corrected a blue colored fairy who flew down and circled Linder.  
  
"The THREE of us," added a pink fairy who joined the first.  
  
Linder waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. These two are helping me." LinkW grinned at this.   
  
"So," Linder continued, "what brings you out here, Link? Do you have anything to do with what  
  
has happened here?"  
  
Before the Wind Waker could reply, the blue fairy interrupted. "Link?! What?!" she  
  
exclaimed zooming over to LinkW and inspecting him closely.  
  
LinkW shied away from the strange fairy. "Uh, yes? I'm Link. Is there something wrong?"  
  
The fairy looked at him strangely, then shook her head. "No, no. You just remind me of  
  
someone I knew," she replied, sounding somewhat disappointed.  
  
"She had you confused with me," LinkT interjected from the side grinning. "Hey there,  
  
Navi. Long time no see."  
  
"LINK!!" the fairy cried turning to the Hero of Time. "Is that really you?"  
  
LinkT nodded. "Yeah, it's me."  
  
Linder scratched his head. "You know that one?" he asked Navi.  
  
The pink fairy answered instead. "They used to be partners. Although I have absolutely no  
  
idea HOW he can be here right now. He should be long dead."  
  
"Always the pessimist, eh Vellis?"  
  
"Saria?!" the pink fairy cried turning around.  
  
The green haired girl smiled and raised a hand, which the fairy, Vellis, quickly perched  
  
upon. "It has been quite a while, my old friend," Saria replied happily.  
  
"Now this is really strange," Navi commented, flickering back from LinkT to Saria and  
  
back again.  
  
"Um, so you guys know these fairies by name?" LinkW asked, stepping into the group.  
  
LinkT nodded. "Yes. Navi and I were partners during our fight against Ganon. Saria and  
  
Vellis were also partners."  
  
Tetra stood next to LinkW and folded her arms. "Partners?"  
  
"Err, it's a Kokiri thing," Saria replied.  
  
Rown the Korok looked up at her. "Wait a minute. You're a Kokiri?"  
  
"She is. I'm not," LinkT replied. Everyone looked at him questioningly. He shrugged.   
  
"Uh, it's kind of a long story."  
  
LinkW sighed. "It's about time to set up camp for the night, anyway," he said, motioning  
  
toward the setting sun.  
  
Saria nodded. "He's right. Let's make camp. We can talk over dinner."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The adventurers and the forest entourage sat around a campfire, although the Korok and the  
  
Deku Scrubs stayed a little further from the fire. The Hylians (plus Saria and Medli) were all eating  
  
rations, while the plant folk just stuck their feet in the soil. The adventurers had explained things to  
  
Linder and the others.  
  
"So, what are you guys doing?" LinkW finally asked the Korok.  
  
"The Great Deku Tree sent us to find out why the land had been restored. Now I guess we  
  
can just head back and tell him what you have told us," Linder replied.  
  
"It will be good to get back," another of the Koroks commented. "A whole new section has  
  
been added to the forest. I can't wait to explore it." The others nodded in agreement.  
  
"I'm going to stay with these guys," Navi, who was currently sitting on top of LinkT's head,  
  
spoke up.  
  
"Me too," Vellis agreed, fluttering around Saria.  
  
Linder shrugged. "Well, okay. We'll tell the Great Deku Tree."  
  
LinkT turned his eyes upward. "You know, Navi, I went out looking for you."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yup. Now that I think about it . . . I can safely say that this is all your fault."  
  
Navi stared down at him, blinking several times. "Huh?"  
  
LinkT shrugged. "Well, it was while I was looking for you that I stumbled into Termina  
  
and found the Fierce Deity Mask. So technically, this is all your fault."  
  
Navi just stared at him gaping.  
  
Finally the Hero of Time burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding. If I hadn't stumbled into  
  
Termina Majora's Mask would have destroyed the whole thing. Don't worry about it."  
  
Navi let out a relieved sigh. "You had me scared for a minute there!" she chided.  
  
Link smiled. "But seriously, where were you?"  
  
"Oh, er . . . Um, no where important."  
  
LinkT raised an eyebrow curiously. Vellis quickly flew over to him. "Oh, I can tell you  
  
where she was," the fairy said in an "I know something you don't know" voice.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Vellis nodded. "You remember Dalin, Lado's fairy? Well, he and Navi were-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Navi interrupted, charging at Vellis. The blue fairy proceeded to chase the  
  
pink one around the camp site for the next few minutes.  
  
"Never mind," LinkT muttered. "I don't think I want to know." 


	14. The Long Road Home

Hey there, everybody! I'm back with another update! Ain't it great? At the suggestion of one of  
  
my reviewers, I'm going to do a bit of a "shout out" to some of the Reviewers and respond to some  
  
questions/comments. In no particular chronological order, here we go:  
  
Rising Dragon - I suppose Link could have brought Malon back to life (maybe), but he had  
  
somewhat more important matters on his mind. Also, the Triforce doesn't like doing  
  
multiple wishes. As for the Oracle Series, I am fairly certain that it is NOT the OoT Link.   
  
Firstly, the ALL three pieces of the Triforce are assembled at Hyrule Castle in the series,  
  
which they are not after OoT. Also, as for Malon, Talon, and Ingo, they cannot be the same  
  
ones from OoT, as they live in a distant land, not Hyrule. Also, as far as LinkT's love life  
  
before the Fierce Deity came, be sure to read this chapter!  
  
Jenna aka Kitty - thank you for your comments and for being a faithful reviewer!  
  
Andreas - The place where LinkT fought the Fierce Deity was NOT the Spirit Temple. In OoT  
  
there was a rumor/glitch/whatever that if you played the Song of Storms in the Haunted  
  
Wasteland the lightning would allow you to see the silhouette of a pyramid in the distance,  
  
but you could never reach it. I decided to make this rumor into an actual place, Ganon's old  
  
HQ.  
  
KawaiiKaren - Thank you for your faithful reviews. I must agree, the goddesses should have taken  
  
care of the Fierce Deity long time ago. Let's just say that harming their family would go  
  
against their nature and the are unable to do that. Note-that means DIRECTLY harming  
  
their family. And yes, they will visit a few places from OoT.  
  
Sizzle - They may find one or two more people . . . . *evil grin* You're going to have to wait and  
  
see.  
  
Chris the Wolf Boy - Thank you for the faithful reviews. I have some "nice" cliffhangers coming up  
  
for you soon. Evil, huh?  
  
Galupa - I guess you are right about the anime feel to this story. I've been watching FAR too many  
  
of them lately. As for the DBZ feel, well my first fan fic (the one right before this one) was,  
  
in fact, a DBZ story.  
  
Crystal Jodi - A FEW spelling errors you say? More like a LOT. I'm always so eager to publish a  
  
new chapter as soon as I get it written that I don't really proofread much.  
  
Time Traveler, fairydust125, and Post - Thank you all for your continual reviews. They are  
  
appreciated very much.  
  
Now back to the update! I should mention, now we are actually returning to the real plot. The last  
  
chapter or so was a bit of a light hearted and comical break. The Fierce Deity will be returning  
  
soon, and there goes the happy mood. Now on with the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. Do you? If so, call me. We can set up some kind  
  
of trade.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
The Long Road Home  
  
In a dark, stone room, four torches burned, casting the only light around. The firelight  
  
reflected off of pieces of shattered crystal that where strewn around the small chamber. However,  
  
the figure that had emerged from the crystal was no longer there.  
  
The lone figure stood now a short distance away, at the entrance to the crypt-like structure it  
  
had emerged from. Covered in ragged brow cloaks, the figure stood on unsteady legs and surveyed  
  
the area around. The area was surrounded by cliffs that led up to a tall mountain behind the figure.   
  
This place had somewhat sparse grass, which was wet and clung to the ground like in the early  
  
mourning. The ground was very damp. Actually, it was soaking. Everything showed signs of water  
  
damage, although the only things to see there were graves.  
  
The figure pulled its cloaks more securely around itself and slowly began to make its way  
  
out of the dismal place. Rest and recovery were necessary, but this was not the place. Perhaps the  
  
ruins beyond the graveyard would be more suitable.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The horseback caravan continued on its trip to Hyrule Castle. The Hero of Time and the  
  
Hero of Winds road out a little ways in front of the others. As they rode, LinkW studied his  
  
counterpart with concern. LinkT had been in a gloomy mood all day. It was beginning to worry the  
  
Wind Waker. The Hero of Time was not paying very close attention to where he was going, but,  
  
fortunately, his horse seemed to know what it was doing and where it was going. Strangely, Epona  
  
also seemed a little subdued today, just like her master. And LinkW had not been the only one to  
  
notice.  
  
Tetra slowed slightly and dropped back to rides next to Saria in the back of the group.   
  
"Hey," she addresses the Forest Sage. "Is it just me, or does that Link seem a bit out of it?" she  
  
asked, motioning towards LinkT.  
  
Saria nodded. "Yes. Today hasn't been very good for him."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Saria turned to the prate princess and dropped her voice a little lower just to be safe. "Do  
  
you remember seeing those ruins we passed this morning?"  
  
"The ones you told me not to say anything about?" asked Aryll, who had dropped back to  
  
join the other two girls.  
  
Saria nodded. "Those were the remains of Lon Lon Ranch. Back before the Fierce Deity  
  
attacked, the place was run by a man named Talon, his daughter Malon, and their hired hand Ingo."  
  
Tetra cocked her head slightly. "Didn't Link say that his horse was given to him by a  
  
Malon?"  
  
Saria nodded again. "Yes. The same one. Link and Malon were very close friends. I'm not  
  
sure if they were actually an item or not, but they were really close."  
  
"Wait a minute," came the voice of Navi, who was now flying next to Saria along with  
  
Vellis. "Link and Malon were together? I thought he liked the princess."  
  
Saria chuckled softly. "Oh, he did. But he was always to nervous to say or do anything  
  
about it. He and Malon got along really well, though. I don't think it was romance -- just really  
  
good friends like me and Link."  
  
"You and Link aren't an item?" Aryll asked.  
  
Saria raised an eyebrow. "No. We're not. We're more like family." Aryll shrugged and  
  
motioned for Saria to continue. "Anyway, Link and Malon were good friends. Then came the  
  
Fierce Deity. For some reason or another, the demon's path of destruction led it to Lon Lon. Link  
  
arrived just after the Oni left, to find the ranch in ruins. He told me that when he got there, Talon,  
  
Ingo, and all the animals were already dead. Malon was still alive, but just barely. All Link could  
  
do for her, though, was hold her as she died. After that, Link went chasing after the Fierce Deity.   
  
The rest you already know."  
  
The girls nodded and continued on in silence. Then something came to Tetra's mind. "Wait  
  
a minute," she said to Saria. "Did you say that he liked the princess?"  
  
Saria nodded. "Link had quite the crush on the Zelda from our time."  
  
"Weird," Tetra muttered to herself. They continued on in silence from there.  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
The nest day, LinkT was back to his old self. The others were relieved. Now the Hero of  
  
Time seemed even a little giddy.  
  
"You have too much sugar or something?" LinW questioned his counterpart.  
  
LinkT gave him a wry smile. "You will see when we get over this hill," he replied. The  
  
Wind Waker raised an eyebrow, but kept silent.  
  
The two Links were the first to break over the top of the hill. They both came to a stop  
  
there, gazing ahead. LinkW gaped at the sight before him and LinkT just grinned. The others  
  
quickly joined them atop the hill. Everyone spent a few silent moments gazing ahead.  
  
Despite years under the sea, the gleaming white stone walls of Hyrule City shown  
  
magnificently. Behind the wall, the turrets and towers of the castle itself stood proudly,  
  
commanding the surrounding area.   
  
LinkT grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hyrule Castle."  
  
Although LinkW and Tetra had actually been in the castle before, they had never actually  
  
had a good view of the majestic building. The others had never seen any of it before.  
  
LinkT slowly began to make his way down the hill towards the castle. They others followed  
  
silently, still gazing at the grand building.  
  
As they made their way towards the city, the others recovered from their initial shock.   
  
LinkW nudged Tetra in the side. "Nice house," he commented with a grin. She gave him a mock  
  
glare.  
  
The group stopped their horses before the entrance to the city. The drawbridge that lead into  
  
the city had long disappeared, so they could not take the horses in. LinkT patted Epona's muzzle  
  
and instructed her to look after the other horses.  
  
"How do we get over the moat?" Aryll asked.  
  
"No problem," both Links replied in unison, while drawing their bows. This earned them  
  
several giggles from the others. LinkW notched an arrow and aimed down at the water. A blue  
  
glow radiated from the head of the arrow and he let it fly. A block of ice froze on the water where  
  
the arrow had hit. The Hero of Winds hopped onto the ice and then over to the other side of the  
  
moat. He motioned to Tetra, who did the same.  
  
Aryll was about to follow, but LinkT put out his hand to stop her. A couple seconds later,  
  
the block of ice melted and sunk. LinkT notched an Ice Arrow and fired it into the moat as well.   
  
Aryll and Saria both hopped across this time. After the ice had again melted, LinkT fired another  
  
arrow and carried Makar across. Medli simply flew over the water.  
  
"Alright," LinkW declared. "Lets get to the castle."  
  
LinkT nodded. "Follow me."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Daoshin, the Fierce Deity, hovered in midair. He was a little confused. On his way back  
  
from chasing down Lord Jabun, he had found something quite odd. There was now a continent  
  
where earlier there had been none. Of course, originally there HAD been land there, but it had been  
  
covered by the sea. So what was it doing back?  
  
The Oni shrugged to dismiss the thought. To be frank, he didn't really care if it was a  
  
continent or a bunch of islands. He would destroy it all anyway. Right now, only one thing  
  
mattered. That one thing was to become greater than any of the gods! Yes, Daoshin would become  
  
far greater than his sisters. He would destroy the gods. Heck, he might even destroy the demons just  
  
for fun as well. No one would be able to stop him! Let the Little Hero Boy do whatever he wanted.   
  
In the end it would all be in vain.  
  
The Fierce Deity grinned wickedly as he again began to fly through the air. Soon he would  
  
be unstoppable. He shot out over the ground. Mentally he noted to thank whoever raised the land  
  
again. It was a nice change of scenery.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
the figure that had emerged from the crystal sat in the least collapsed house that could be  
  
found beyond the graveyard it had come from. The village was completely wrecked. First it had  
  
been razed with fire, then smothered by water.  
  
The figure, no longer unstable on its legs, was rummaging through a chest that had  
  
withstood the fires and the flood. Several such chests and containers were in the house, all  
  
scavenged from the remains of the town.  
  
After selecting several items from the chests, the figure sat and began to work at a learned  
  
skill, sewing. Strangely, sewing was one of the last skill the figure had ever suspected that it would  
  
use, but it was coming in quite handy. One could hardly go into battle wearing clothes that looked  
  
like they were about to just fall apart. That and the figure still needed some time to finish  
  
recovering.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The group of adventurers stood on the highest peak of Hyrule Castle. Aryll, Medli, and  
  
Makar all stood back, out of the way. Tetra stayed closer, holding LinkW's bow with an arrow  
  
notched. Saria stood near her, holding LinkT's bow in a similar fashion. The legendary heroes  
  
stood close together before a stone figure. Lodged in the top of the figure was a sword which shone  
  
with a sacred light and an ever-sharp edge.  
  
The Hero of Winds held him Mirror Shield tightly in one hand. In the other he grasped his  
  
counterpart's Gilded Sword. The Hero of Time stood with his Mirror shield strapped on one arm  
  
and the other empty.  
  
The two heroes exchanged glances. Everyone was tensed and ready. LinkW nodded his  
  
head. "Do it."  
  
LinkT nodded in agreement and stepped up to the stone figure. He reached out and grasped  
  
the hilt of the Master Sword with one hand, then with both. He placed a foot against the stone for  
  
leverage and gave a began to pull out the sword. 


	15. Faces of Evil

Hey all! I'm back again! And the peasants rejoice. I say that a lot don't I? Oh well. Guess what?   
  
As of when I started this chapter, I have 99 reviews for this story! One more makes a hundred! Of  
  
course, by the time this chapter is actually published, the one hundredth review may already be in!   
  
Anyway, I will announce next update who sent in the one hundredth review. I am really glad to  
  
actually get the many. Please be sure to continue sending in reviews. Side note! Many of you have  
  
said that my recent chapters have some weird spacing. Blame FF.net for that! They changed the  
  
way they publish the stories on me. at that, when I view them on my computer, I cannot see the  
  
problem. Also, I won't be updating again this week. Why? My family is going to Ohio. Why?   
  
My dad is getting his PhD. We have to go to Cincinnati for his graduation. Hopefully we will go to  
  
a Reds game while we're there. Go Reds! I know they aren't doing too well, but hey, I don't really  
  
care for baseball much either. I just like the Reds! (FYI: I was born in Cincinnati, so they used to  
  
be my home team. I live in Misery now . . . I mean Missouri). So now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda.   
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
Faces of Evil  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
The two heroes exchanged glances. Everyone was tensed and ready. LinkW nodded his  
  
head. "Do it."  
  
LinkT nodded in agreement and stepped up to the stone figure. He reached out and grasped  
  
the hilt of the Master Sword with one hand, then with both. He placed a foot against the stone for  
  
leverage and began to pull out the sword.  
  
NOW:  
  
The master Sword gave an initial click, then, with a soft grinding sound, slid out from its  
  
stone home. LinkT grunted as he dislodged the sword and pulled the last of it out. The keen blade  
  
shone with a faint glow as the Hero of Time once again held the Sword of Evil's Bane.  
  
LinkT quickly backed away from the stone figure, holding the Master Sword in one hand  
  
and raising his Mirror shield up in the other. LinkW also raised his shield, gripping the Gilded  
  
Sword tightly.  
  
After several silent moments, a crack appeared on the stone with a snapping sound. Several  
  
more cracks quickly followed. With a final, loud crashing sound, the stone shattered, raising a cloud  
  
of dust and debris.  
  
Ganondorf Dragmire collapsed onto his hands and knees among the stone debris now  
  
littering the tower. He was panting hard, or maybe that was the sound of his heart beating. Slowly,  
  
the King of Evil raised his head. Red eyes burned with hatred as they came to rest on the two  
  
Heroes before them.  
  
Ganondorf slowly rose to his feet, towering above both Links. He let out a low, deep  
  
throated growl. Both Heroes braced.  
  
If he found the sight of both the Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds even the least bit odd,  
  
the King of Evil made no sign of it. The madman's mind most likely did not either comprehend  
  
such things any more, or he just didn't care.  
  
Ganondorf slowly began to raise into the air. As he did so, he began to tuck his body into a  
  
ball, almost like a fetal position. Then his body began to glow with an eerie blue light.  
  
The Links backed up even further. "What's he doing?" LinkW asked nervously.  
  
"He is going to transform," LinkT responded. He glanced at his counterpart to find his  
  
expression confused. "When you fought him, did he only use the form you see now?" The Wind  
  
Waker nodded. "Then you have fought Ganondorf. This is the true form of Ganon, given to him by  
  
the Triforce of Power."  
  
Before LinkW could ask what that meant, Ganondorf let out a scream that may have  
  
actually been closer to a roar. The Evil King's body began to grow larger and mutate. The scream  
  
became more and more like a roar, so much that it could obviously not have come from a human.   
  
The Gerudo King's body landed on the ground with a crash that shook both Links.  
  
The King of Evil stood before them, no longer on feet, but on hooves. Short hair, or actually  
  
fur, covered his entire body. The disproportionally massive arms were covered with bulging  
  
muscles and ended in clawed hands, which now gripped a giant trident-like spear. The face was not  
  
remotely human. The forehead had slanted forward, going down to a boar-like snout and mouth. A  
  
mop of red hair was the only thing that looked somewhat human. The monster's eyes glowed with a  
  
red fire.  
  
"This," the Hero of Time stated, "is Ganon." The beast again roared and raised its spear.   
  
Both Links dodged to either side as the weapon came crashing down, leaving a large crack in the  
  
stone floor. The Heroes both rolled to the side and were quickly back on their feet.  
  
"Oh boy," LinkW muttered to himself. "How do we stop THIS?" he called to his  
  
counterpart.  
  
"His tail is very sensitive," LinkT responded. "And you two," he called back over his  
  
shoulder to Tetra and Saria, "Aim for his head. See if you can stun him!" The girls nodded,  
  
drawing back arrows into their bows.  
  
"I'll distract him," LinkT called to the Wind Waker. "You go for his tail!"  
  
LinkW shook his head in bewilderment. "Your call," he muttered.  
  
"Hey pig face! Over here!" the Hero of Time shouted. He darted in close to the monster  
  
and quickly retreated, before Ganon could attack. LinkT baited him like this several times before  
  
the monster began to slowly chase after him. LinkW quietly snuck behind the Evil King and  
  
charged toward his tail. Just then, Ganon swung his spear horizontally, bringing it around behind  
  
him. "Look out!" LinkT yelled.  
  
LinkW's eyes bulged when he saw the spear headed towards him. With trained reflexes, the  
  
Wind Waker dropped to the ground so the spear sailed by over him. He then quickly rolled away  
  
from Ganon, narrowly avoiding the vertical follow through which smashed into the ground.  
  
"DO YOU THINK I CANNOT HEAR YOU?" came a deep and menacing voice.  
  
LinkT blinked in surprise. *Dang. He's not as far gone as I thought.* He raised his shield  
  
and dropped into a ready stance. "Sorry. I didn't realize you could still comprehend human  
  
speech."  
  
"FOOL!" Ganon bellowed, raising one hand into the air. "I HAVE NOT LOST MY MIND  
  
AS I DID WHEN WE FOUGHT PREVIOUSLY!" A ball of energy crackled into existence in the  
  
monstrous hand. "NOW DIE, HERO OF TIME!" Ganon threw the magic ball at LinkT, who  
  
jumped out of the way, ducked, and rolled to avoid the ball, which exploded against the ground  
  
several feet away.  
  
Ganon raised his hand again, but the twang of two bowstrings rent the air. Ganon managed  
  
to raise an arm for shielding and turn away before the golden light missiles struck, but he was still  
  
jolted by their detonation against his hide.  
  
The Evil King turned to glare at Tetra and Saria, who were stringing new arrows.   
  
"BOTHERSOME INTERLOPERS!" he growled, raising his spear above his head in both hands.   
  
Ganon brought the spear crashing down to the ground and flames erupted from the impact. A deep,  
  
fire ridden crack formed in the ground and headed straight at the two girls. Tetra and Saria both  
  
leapt aside in opposite directions as the flaming crack passed where they had stood. It went on to the  
  
edge of the tower, where fire and dust erupted from the side, filling the air.  
  
The pirate princess and the Sage quickly climbed back to their feet and picked up the bows  
  
they had dropped. Ganon prepared to attack again, but before he could, the Links charged in at him.  
  
LinkT held the Master Sword back behind him and his shield out front as he charged in.   
  
The Master Sword began to glow brightly as magical energy gathered to it. The Hero of Time leapt  
  
at his old foe and sent himself into a rapid spin, sword first. Ganon stepped backwards and dodged  
  
the wave of read and blue flames that came from LinkT's sword. Before the Evil King could  
  
counterattack, however, a cry from behind him drew his attention to the Hero of Winds. LinkW had  
  
also charged magic energy to his sword and now released it in a hurricane spin move that turned him  
  
into a yellow disk of destruction. While spinning, the Wind Waker skimmed along the ground  
  
towards Ganon, who had to sidestep and block with his spear to avoid being hit.  
  
Before Ganon could attack the Wind Waker, two more light missiles were shot at him. The  
  
Evil King swung his spear around in a wide arc, detonating both Light Arrows before they could  
  
reach him. Seeing the two Heroes prepare to strike again, Ganon raised his free hand and pounded it  
  
into the ground in a fist. A shockwave erupted from the impact, carrying an expanding ring of dust  
  
out away from the monster.  
  
Both Links were sent flying by the shockwave. They crashed into the ground several feet  
  
away from where they had been standing. Tetra and Saria, who were further back, managed to  
  
remain on their feet.  
  
Ganon raised a hand above his head. A large ball of absolute blackness formed above his  
  
hand, sucking in magic energy from the surrounding area. With a cry, the Evil King hurled the ball  
  
at the girls. They both dodged, but the magic spell was much more powerful than the previous ones.   
  
It hit the stone floor and blossomed into a giant explosion of darkness. A large section of the tower  
  
top was completely obliterated. Massive cracks formed over the stone floor all around, and large  
  
stone outcroppings jutted out from the ground all over.  
  
Tetra was hurled into an outcropping, where she hit and sunk to the floor unconscious. Saria  
  
was thrown to the ground and pinned their by a pile of debris, unable to move or reach her bow.   
  
Further back, Medli was thrown into a stone outcropping much like Tetra, rendering her  
  
unconscious as well. Makar was also thrown into a wall of stone and incapacitated. Aryll, however,  
  
was thrown completely off the top of the tower.  
  
The young girl screamed as she saw herself go over the edge, and desperately tried to grab  
  
on to something, anything. She could feel the wind whip around her face and hair. After catching a  
  
glimpse of the distant ground, Aryll squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see it. She cringed in  
  
anticipation as she plummeted down the side of the tower.  
  
LinkW let out a scream when he was his little sister fly off the edge of the tower. He tried to  
  
run to the side of the she had fallen from, but Ganon was in his way. Seeing only red, the Wind  
  
Waker hurled himself at his larger adversary, followed closely by the Hero of Time.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
The Fierce Deity folded his arms in front of him and chuckled softly. He began to walk past  
  
the limp form of a giant red dragon that was now unconscious on the ground. Or maybe it was dead.   
  
The Oni really didn't care. He strode past the fallen dragon and climbed up a series of stone stairs  
  
that led to a platform marked with the Triforce.  
  
Daoshin stood in the center of the platform. His eyes began to glow more brightly than  
  
normal and a column of blue light rose around him. The demigod soon found himself in a chamber  
  
made mostly of infinite space. He stood on a platform identical to the one he had previously been  
  
on. The demon's image flickered, then disappeared.  
  
He reappeared in a grassy field. Within a few minutes, the Oni was climbing the last of a  
  
series of gold lines stairs. He stood on the top of a silver ziggurat and grinned widely.  
  
"Oh sisters. How ironic is it that your own power would make me invincible?"  
  
With that, Daoshin stretched out his hand towards the sacred golden triangle.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Aryll clenched her jaw and kept her eyes squeezed shut as she prepared for the end. Her  
  
eyes snapped back open, however, as all the wind was blown from her. She gasped to catch her  
  
breath and realized that their was now an arm wrapped around her waist.  
  
The young girl didn't have time to consider this, though, as the arm pulled her back, until  
  
she could feel the form of another person carrying her. The other figure was currently suspended in  
  
midair, its free arm grasping a rope which was wrapped around its forearm. After hanging in the air  
  
for an instant, gravity and centripetal force caught up with them, and the two swung from the rope  
  
back towards the tower. They landed roughly on a circular staircase that wrapped around the tower,  
  
leading up to the top.  
  
Aryll gasped, catching her breath. "What are you doing here?" Aryll turned to look at her  
  
rescuer for the first time. It appeared to be a boy, about her brother's age. Before Aryll could say  
  
anything, the boy shook his head. "Never mind. You won't be able to get off this staircase by  
  
yourself, so follow me. Just stay back out of the way." Not waiting for a reply, the young man  
  
quickly turned and took off headed up the stairs. Aryll climbed to her feet and ran after him as best  
  
she could.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Sewing was a very boring hobby, the figure that had emerged from the crystal decided. Still,  
  
it was useful. The figure stood in the ruins that had once been Kakariko Village. It carefully  
  
inspected its new outfit. The clothing would provide excellent mobility and durability in battle.  
  
Having finally recovered from being sealed away in the crystal, the figure had decided it was  
  
time to get moving. It headed out from the ruined town on foot. The only logical place to go would  
  
be to the Castle. Fortunately, Kakariko had been a little less than a days travel from Hyrule City, so  
  
the trip there was not too long. Eventually, someone would come to the castle. Perhaps Ganon  
  
would be there. The figure would soon find out.  
  
Once the figure had reached Hyrule Castle, it quickly headed for Ganon's Tower, an  
  
addition which the Evil King had made when he took over Hyrule before the flood. When the figure  
  
reached the tower, it searched around and found a spiral staircase that wrapped around the exterior  
  
of the tower, leading upwards.  
  
The figure used a grappling hook it had found in Kakariko to pull itself up to the raised  
  
ledge at the base of the stairs. The figure wrapped the grappling hook and rope over its shoulder  
  
again. The hook and a large dagger had both been useful items the figure had found in Kakariko,  
  
along with the sewing kit. The dagger was fastened to the figures back. A pendant hung around the  
  
figures neck the only item it had carried with it from the crystal. These three items were all the  
  
equipment that the figure carried with it.  
  
Shortly after the figure started up the stairs, a plume of fire erupted from the top of the tower.   
  
The figure narrowed its eyes and began to take the stairs at a run. Along the way, the figure could  
  
feel various explosions coming from the top of the tower. It moved faster.  
  
After one particularly violent explosion, the figure heard a scream from above and looked up  
  
to see a young girl falling down the side of the tower.  
  
*What the heck?!*  
  
Before the figure could contemplate why a little girl was up there, it was already in action.   
  
It quickly readied the grappling hook and threw it to a higher level of the stairs. As the girl  
  
approached the figures position, the figure took a deep breath and ran of the end of the stairs,  
  
jumping out into the air. The figure swung around, timing it just right so that it reached the girl as  
  
she passed. The figure caught the girl by the waist and pulled her close before they were both pulled  
  
back to the stairs by the rope.  
  
"What are you doing here?" the figure demanded once they had landed safely on the  
  
stairway. It shook its head. It really didn't matter right now. "Never mind. You won't be able to  
  
get off this staircase by yourself, so follow me. Just stay back out of the way," the figure said. With  
  
that, it took off again, headed up to the top of the tower. 


	16. Ghosts From the Past

Hi there! I'm back! Did you miss me? Cincinnati was alright, but the Reds were out of town. Oh  
  
well. I would like to recognize CustomMagnum as the one hundredth reviewer! Yeah!   
  
Unfortunately, there is no prize. Sorry. I would like to thank all my reviewers. Please keep sending  
  
them in! Also, it appears that some people are beginning to guess where this story is going, but it's  
  
fewer than I thought. That's cool. I'll just have to do something original to throw everyone off soon  
  
. . . He he he. Now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I will! Some day. It may be tomorrow.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
Ghosts From the Past  
  
The Hero of Winds and the Hero of Time attacked the Evil King Ganon with unmatched  
  
ferocity. LinkW was driven by rage after seeing his younger sister be thrown from the top of the  
  
tower. He attacked rapidly, taking several swings before releasing a magic-enhanced spin move.   
  
He would then make several move attacks, before using the Hurricane Spin. By now, smoke was  
  
rising from the Wind Waker's blade.  
  
The Hero of Time was not far behind his counterpart. The Master Sword hummed and  
  
shown in his hand, pressing Ganon back step after step. LinkT concentrated mostly on covering  
  
LinkW's rather open rear. In his rage, the Wind Waker did not seem to care about his own safety.   
  
However, soon reason had caught back up with the distraught hero. His attacks became more  
  
refined and precise as he began to work in tune with the Hero of Time.  
  
Both Links made several cuts at the Evil King, which were dodged or blocked. Then LinkT  
  
dropped back as LinkW went into another Hurricane Spin. The spin forced Ganon to bring the  
  
blade of his spear down and block the repeated magical strikes. As soon as LinkW's spin was done,  
  
Ganon pulled his spear back up and over his head to strike. LinkW, however, leapt into the air,  
  
flipping backwards. A aura of purple energy surrounded his body as he activated his Magic Armor.   
  
As the Wind Waker flipped backwards, the Hero of Time charged forward under his friend. LinkT  
  
thrust his open hand towards the ground in front of Ganon. Before the monster could bring his spear  
  
down, a giant fireball erupted around LinkT. Ganon stumbled back from the fiery blast. LinkT was  
  
unaffected by his own spell, and LinkW was protected by his Magic Armor, which faded after Din's  
  
Fire subsided.  
  
Smoking slightly, Ganon put some space between himself and the Heroes. He pulled back  
  
his spear and took a ready stance. The Heroes also prepared themselves. Noone moved for several  
  
moments, each side eyeing the other. Then, with a loud cry, all three parties charged at once.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Aryll and her mysterious rescuer raced up the spiral stairs around the large tower that had  
  
served as Ganon's Keep. The keep had been connected to Hyrule Castle when Ganon had invaded.   
  
Because of the seal over part of the castle, Ganon had been forced to separate his keep from the  
  
castle, although the to were so close it would be hard to distinguish one from the other. As such,  
  
Ganon's keep was considered part of the castle, but could not be accessed from the rest of the  
  
building.  
  
Of course, Aryll knew none of this. She didn't even know it was called Ganon's Keep.   
  
Right now, she was worried about keeping up with the young man who had saved her. He was quite  
  
fast and agile. That, mixed with his unusual attire, seemed to scream "thief!" at the young girl.   
  
Strangely, the boy acted nothing like a thief, so Aryll didn't assume anything about him. He also  
  
didn't seem to care much for talking. Or, perhaps he was just too busy.  
  
The tower rumbled as the two continued up the steps. It had been shaking and rumbling  
  
quite frequently. Aryll guessed that meant that her brother and the other Link were still fighting  
  
Ganon. She hoped that was a good sign.  
  
The tower shuddered again, and the young man in front stopped dead in his tracks. Aryll  
  
skidded to a somewhat less graceful stop behind him. The young man tilted his head back and  
  
gazed upward. Aryll could see concentration in the way he squinted his ruby eyes. Suddenly, his  
  
eyes widened. His head snapped back down, looking directly at her. "Look out!" he shouted as he  
  
charged at her.  
  
Aryll wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't have time to react anyway. The young  
  
man reached her mid-leap, shoving her, rather roughly, back down the stairs. Then the falling rocks  
  
hit. As Aryll toppled down several more steps, she could only make out several large boulder-size  
  
stones and a cloud of dust which covered her rescuer and hid him from view.  
  
When Aryll stopped rolling, she climbed back to her feet with a groan. The dust began to  
  
settle, and the young girl could make out the form of her savior, who had now saved her twice. The  
  
young man was lying on the ground, not moving. A few of the smaller rocks covered his body, but  
  
several large ones lay in an almost circle around him, as if they had hit an umbrella above him. A  
  
few feet back, there were even larger stones. Behind that, a fairly large chunk of the stairs was now  
  
missing. The largest rocks had continued their fall, right through the stairway.  
  
Aryll approached her rescuer cautiously. A tightening of one hand and a soft moan told her  
  
that he was still alive. Sighing in relief, she ran up to him.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked as she neared him.  
  
"I'll live," came the reply.  
  
Aryll arrived at the fallen figure, who was now struggling to rise. She suddenly stopped,  
  
frozen in her tracks. She blinked several times and her face contorted in surprise and confusion.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Ganon charged, swinging his massive spear horizontally. LinkT jumped into the air, curling  
  
into a ball and flipping neatly over the blade. LinkW dove to the ground gracefully, curled into a  
  
ball, and rolled under the blade. LinkT hit the ground again at the same instant that LinkW rose  
  
back to his feet. The two Heroes pulled their swords back, leapt at Ganon, and swung. The King of  
  
Evil gripped his spear in both massive hands and blocked with the shaft. The behemoth twisted at  
  
the waist, swinging his spear back in the direction it had come from.  
  
LinkT hopped back to avoid the blow, while LinkW sidestepped and charged in again. He  
  
managed to nick Ganon on the arm, drawing some slight blood, but the monster did not even  
  
acknowledge the blow. Instead, he brought his spear down horizontally, causing LinkW to leap  
  
back and away.  
  
Now LinkT charged in. He immediately let loose a charged up Spin Attack. Ganon avoided  
  
the blade, but was lashed by the magic blue and red flames. The Evil King grunted and thrust his  
  
spear straight forward. The Hero of Time sidestepped and narrowly avoided being skewered. As  
  
Ganon was over exerted in the thrust, the Wind Waker attacked again, this time striking a deeper  
  
blow into his opponent's shoulder.  
  
Ganondorf staggered back as the Heroes pressed their attack. The two of them were just to  
  
quick. When he went after one, the other scored a hit. At this rate, he would be the one to collapse  
  
first. It was time to fight dirty.  
  
As the Links charged again, Ganon raised and open hand, pointing the palm at the Wind  
  
Waker. Violet energy gathered there, quickly forming a ball. LinkW was charging too fast to stop  
  
and was too close to dodge. He took the blast straight on. It threw him several yards back. His  
  
vision blurred momentarily as he tried to get back onto his feet.  
  
With one opponent temporarily down, Ganon turned his eyes to the Hero of Time, who had  
  
charged in just behind the Hero of Winds. The King of Evil brought his spear down diagonally at  
  
his old enemy. LinkT crossed the Master Sword over his Mirror Shield and blocked the blow. The  
  
enemies stood their for a moment, locked in a struggle of will. Finally, Ganon pulled back, breaking  
  
the lock and pivoting around his left hoof. He brought his spear back to his right, as if to swing  
  
horizontally. But the swing never came. As LinkT prepared to face the spear, Ganon's tail swung  
  
around from behind him and crashed into the back of the Hero's legs, knocking them out from under  
  
him.  
  
LinkT hit the ground with a thud. He looked up to see Ganon bring the spear up behind his  
  
head. Acting on battle hardened reflexes, the Hero of Time pushed off the ground, rolling, not away  
  
from, but towards Ganon. The Evil King thrust the spear into the spot LinkT had just been at a  
  
slight angle. When the spearhead hit, sharp blades of magically conjured ice shot out from the  
  
ground, right where LinkT would have been if he had rolled backwards.  
  
LinkT rolled between his foes legs, and climbed to his feet behind Ganon. Taking the long  
  
awaited opportunity, the Hero of Time gave Ganon's sensitive tail a swipe with the Master Sword.   
  
The King of Evil howled in pain. He swung his massive spear around again. LinkT crossed his  
  
sword over his shied again and braced. The force of the swing knocked the young Hero off his feet  
  
and carried him through the air, depositing him near LinkW, who had just gotten back to his feet.  
  
"You alright?" the Wind Waker asked as his counterpart climbed back to his feet.  
  
"You kidding? I'm having a blast," the Hero of Time replied sarcastically.  
  
The two Links readied themselves and faced the King of Evil. Ganon raised his spear above  
  
his head and began to spin it rapidly with both hands. With a feral cry, he brought the spear down,  
  
pointing it at the distant Heroes. Although no magic energy could be seen, the column of dust being  
  
kicked up clearly outlined the wind-like blast. Both Links jumped out of the way in opposite  
  
directions, but both were clipped by the blast. They were sent spinning through the air before  
  
crashing to the ground. The invisible blast continued on and hit the ground near the edge of the  
  
tower. The stone there splintered and shattered. Another large section of the tower was broken off  
  
and fell down the side of the keep.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Brushing matted green hair out of her face, Saria strained to dislodge the last of the rocks  
  
pinning her to the ground. With a grunt of effort, she finally managed to slide the last large rock off.   
  
The smaller stones and pebbles were brushed off with much more ease. Saria inspected her legs.   
  
One seemed in pretty good condition, just a bruise or two. The other was bleeding in several places  
  
and stung. Gently, the Forest Sage pulled herself to her feet. She tested her injured leg. It shot pain  
  
up her spine, but soon subsided to a dull throbbing ache.  
  
Saria limped over to where she had dropped her bow and quiver of arrows. Retrieving these  
  
items, she slung the quiver over her shoulder and pulled out an arrow. She then studied the battle in  
  
progress. Ganondorf was keeping the Links on the defensive. They all looked battered and worn.  
  
Steadying herself on her good leg, the Forest Sage notched an the arrow and took aim.   
  
Ganon made several more swings with his spear before pulling back to renew his attack. Saria let  
  
the arrow fly.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The Links braced as Ganon prepared to attack again, but it never came. An explosion of  
  
golden light suddenly blossomed against the Evil King's head. He howled in pain as he was caught  
  
off-guard and thrown to the ground sideways. The massive monster crashed through a stone  
  
outcropping before stopping himself with his arm. The brute pulled himself back to his feet and  
  
turned to his side. He glared as the Links turned to see what had happened. They all found Saria  
  
notching another arrow.  
  
Ganon's eyes narrowed. "HOW MANY TIMES MUST I GET RID OF YOU?" he  
  
bellowed, forming a golden energy ball in his hand. Before Saria could ready her arrow, he threw  
  
the ball.  
  
Fortunately for the Forest Sage, LinkT was quick in coming to her defense. Leaping in front  
  
of his longtime friend, the Hero of Time swung the Master Sword at the energy ball. The Blade of  
  
Evil's Bane shone brightly as it collided with the magic ball. Using skills he had practiced  
  
repeatedly, LinkT directed the energy ball back towards Ganon.  
  
Not wanting to engage in an exercise he had memories of usually losing, Ganon swung his  
  
trident upward diagonally across his body, deflecting his own attack off into the sky. However, just  
  
as Ganon's spear crossed in front of his body, Saria's second Light Arrow blasted him in the face.  
  
The Evil King grunted and staggered backwards. Before his vision cleared, Ganon could  
  
feel sharp pain coming from his front side. LinkW had taken the opportunity to unleash his  
  
Hurricane Spin directly into Ganon's torso, scoring multiple lacerations across the fiends gut and  
  
chest. Ganon's vision cleared in time to see LinkT score a cut across his chest with the Master  
  
Sword. Ganon wailed in pain as he staggered back. However, he did manage to tilt his head to the  
  
side and avoid the next Light Arrow.  
  
The Links renewed their attack and pressed Ganon back. The King of Evil quickly adopted  
  
a new strategy. One that involved a lot of voluntary retreating. He allowed the Heroes to push him  
  
back, but he chose where to. Finally, Ganon took a massive swing that sent out a wave of magic  
  
energy, forcing both Links to retreat. As the Heroes prepared to charge again, Ganon called out to  
  
them, "I SUGGEST YOU STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" Something resembling a deranged smile  
  
graced his boar-like face. "UNLESS YOU WANT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN TO THE  
  
PRINCESS," he taunted, holding his spear out to the side and lowering it to the ground, inches  
  
above the unconscious form of Tetra. Both Links froze.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Tetra squeezed her eyes shut before opening them as she regained consciousness. Things  
  
were strangely quiet, she noted through her pounding headache. Groaning, the pirate princess tuned  
  
to take in her surroundings. She was till on the tower. There were stones and ruble all around.   
  
Both Links were still standing, as if petrified. And there was a giant blade hovering inches from her  
  
throat.  
  
Tetra swallowed. That wasn't supposed to be there.  
  
The Princess of Hyrule traced her eyes up the blade to the shaft of a giant spear, then to a  
  
massive hand and arm, which in turn lead to the wickedly grinning face of Ganon.  
  
Tetra swallowed again. That DEFINITELY wasn't supposed to be there!  
  
Ganon grinned down at the princess, who was trying hard no to shake in fear. "YOU  
  
KNOW, I REALLY HATE TOMBOY PRINCESSES," he sneered.  
  
"Then it's just not your lucky day, is it?"  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"You're a girl?!"  
  
Aryll's rescuer looked at her curiously and blinked several times. He then reached up to his  
  
face. Sure enough, the cloth that was covering the lower part of his face was gone. Make that HER  
  
face.  
  
The stranger let out an exasperated sigh. She closed her eyes and pointed her index and  
  
middle finger at them. Then she muttered something under her breath that Aryll didn't catch. When  
  
she opened her eyes again, they had gone from red to blue.  
  
"Yes. I'm a girl," the stranger replied, her voice having changed with her eyes. Then she  
  
gave a soft smile. "Quite the disguise, huh?"  
  
Aryll nodded. "But why dress up as a boy?"  
  
The stranger pulled herself to her feet. Golden hair was now spilling out from under her  
  
disheveled turban. Sorely, the young lady stretched her muscles as she rose. "I had to hide myself  
  
from Ganondorf once before. When you're looking for a girl, who would suspect a boy? I just  
  
decided use the same disguise again."  
  
Aryll nodded. That made sense. She then looked down at the stones around the stranger.   
  
"Good thing the big ones missed you," she said, nodding to the rocks.  
  
"No. Good thing I erected a barrier in time."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind." The older girl turned to face the collapsed section of the stairs. "We need to  
  
get going," she said, pulling out the grappling hook she had used earlier. "We are nearly to the top."  
  
Aryll watched as her rescuer tossed the grappling hook up to a stone gargoyle on the side of  
  
the tower. When it was secure, the girl motioned for Aryll to hold on tight and swung both of them  
  
across the gap. On the other side, they took off running again.  
  
After a little while, the stranger came to a sudden stop, her hand at her chest. "What's  
  
wrong?" Aryll asked.  
  
"My pendant! I lost my pendant!" the young lady replied in a near panic. Sure enough, the  
  
pendant was no longer around her neck.  
  
"Did you lose it back where the rocks fell on us?"  
  
The older girl winced. "I think so," she replied gravely.  
  
"Was it important?" Aryll asked.  
  
The other girl nodded. "It was a magical talisman. I was going to use it against Ganon."  
  
"Oh." At that moment, the tower shuddered under a particularly violent blow. The sound of  
  
an inhuman roar could be heard, along with the scraping of metal. Aryll bit her lower lip. "I hope  
  
my brother is okay," she said out loud, looking up the short distance to the top of the tower.  
  
The older girl cringed. "There's no time to go back. It may have fallen completely off the  
  
tower," she said, more to herself. "Crap." Finally, she shook her head and sprinted off up the stairs.   
  
Aryll quickly followed.  
  
Within moments, the two girls finally reached the top of the tower. Both Links were still  
  
standing, Aryll was relieved to see. They were on the other side of the tower, but couldn't see the  
  
girls. Ganon stood between them, his back to the girls. Aryll traced her way down Ganon's spear to  
  
find a very frightened Tetra.  
  
The mysterious young lady turned to Aryll. "Get back. Go wait a ways down the stairs.   
  
It's too dangerous up here."  
  
The island girl had nearly protested, but the look her rescuer gave her left no room for  
  
argument. Aryll nodded and slipped away down the stairs.  
  
The young lady who had come from the crystal crouched low. There was a reason she had  
  
made herself an outfit mostly out of blue spandex . . . mobility. After a moment of crouching like a  
  
cat, the young woman finally leapt at Ganon's back.  
  
"YOU KNOW, I REALLY HATE TOMBOY PRINCESSES," the monster bellowed,  
  
sneering at the girl his spear was pointed at. The blue-clad young woman landed gracefully on his  
  
shoulder blades. Ganon may or may not have felt her land, either way, he didn't have any time to  
  
react.  
  
"Then it's just not your lucky day, is it?" the young woman called, raising her hand, palm  
  
out, and pointing it at the back of Ganon's head. With a loud bang, a bright, golden light erupted  
  
between the hand and the head. Ganon howled in pain as he was sent crashing forward to the  
  
ground. As the beast hit the ground, the figure on top of it dove forward off of it and over its head.   
  
The figure hit the ground in the midst of a cartwheel, which was followed by a handspring and then  
  
a roll. The figure gracefully ended on its feet, before fluidly turning to face Ganon, drawing a  
  
dagger, and dropping into a fighting stance all at once.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Both Links stared open mouth at the newcomer. The young woman dressed in blue spandex  
  
held the grace and poise of a trained warrior, almost like a martial artist or an assassin. She held her  
  
dagger motionless, her blue eyes not blinking.  
  
Ganon climbed back to his feet, his face contorted in rage. His eyes darted back to where  
  
Tetra had been moments ago. The pirate girl was no longer there. She stood several yards back,  
  
now holding the bow she had previously dropped..  
  
Ganon let out a low growl. He glared down at the newcomer. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING  
  
HERE?" he demanded.  
  
She gave a slight smile. "Anything I can to stop you."  
  
Ganon bared his fang-like teeth. He raised a hand above his head, quickly forming a large  
  
ball of magic energy. "WHY CAN'T YOU BE A GOOD LITTLE PRINCESS AND DIE?!" he  
  
roared, hurling the ball of magic.  
  
LinkT snapped out of his stupor and dashed forward. "Zelda!" he called as he leapt before  
  
her, already spinning , Master Sword out. The glowing blade connected with the magic ball,  
  
propelling it straight back into Ganon's face. The brute pulled his head back, howling in pain. The  
  
sound of yew wood bending rent the air, followed by the snap of two bow strings. Golden Light  
  
Arrows detonated against either side of the Evil King's head, sending him down to his knees,  
  
holding his face and squealing in pain.  
  
Zelda, Hyrule's princess of old, stared in shock at the green-clad young man before her.   
  
"Link?!" she gasped.  
  
The Hero of Time nodded, before turning back towards Ganon. "We can talk later!" he  
  
called over his shoulder, as he rushed at the Evil King, following closely behind another boy in  
  
green.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Aryll hurried down the stairs. She stopped when she reached a gap in the stairs. That was  
  
the first level that the rocks which had nearly buried her and her rescuer had fallen through. Aryll  
  
got down on her hands and knees and peered over the edge. They had been two levels of stairs  
  
below when the rocks fell. Her rescuer had used her grappling hook to help them cross the two other  
  
gaps as well as the first one.  
  
The young girl pulled out her telescope. When her brother hadn't returned hers, she had  
  
decided to buy herself a new one. Now she was glad she had it. She looked down through the  
  
telescope and scanned for the level she had been on when the rocks fell.  
  
Aryll found the spot her new friend had nearly been buried very quickly. The near-perfect  
  
circle of rocks helped. Aryll continued to scan the piles of rock until the glint of metal caught her  
  
eye. "There it is!" she exclaimed out loud. Then she frowned. "But how do I reach it?"  
  
"What seems to be the trouble? Hoo-hoot!"  
  
Aryll yelped as she spun to face the person addressing her. Then she froze. Standing on  
  
the stairs several feet away was an owl as big as she was. The owl let out a strange hooting sound  
  
that was suspiciously like chuckling.  
  
"Don't be afraid of me. Hoo-hoot."  
  
"A talking owl?" Aryll asked in amazement.  
  
"Quite right," the owl responded. "Now, was there something you were trying to reach?"  
  
Aryll snapped back to reality. "Oh! Oh, yes." She pointed down the gap in the stairs. "My  
  
friend dropped her pendant down there. She said she was going to use it against Ganon but she lost  
  
it. And my brother is fighting Ganon, so I wanted to find the pendant and help them!"  
  
The owl nodded. "I see. Hoo-hoot. I shall be back in a jiffy." With that, the owl fluttered  
  
its wings and dove off of the staircase. It circled down to the spot two levels below a picked up the  
  
pendant in a swift swoop. It rose back up to Aryll's level. "There you go. Hoo-hoot. I must be  
  
going, but I'm sure we'll meet again. Good luck, young one. Hoo-hoot!" The owl dropped the  
  
pendant into Aryll's hand and took off, flying away. Aryll waved, then turned and raced back up  
  
the stairs.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
a large boulder Ganon had dislodged came crashing down towards LinkW, but it never got  
  
there. The blue-clad Princess of Hyrule stood under the stone, one hand raised, palm pointing to the  
  
rock. It hovered in midair a little ways away from the Hero of Winds. He nodded in thanks to the  
  
princess. She, in turn, hurled the boulder back at Ganon. He split it half with his spear, but right  
  
behind it came LinkW, who gave the monster a slash across the face. Light Arrows shot through the  
  
air, sending the Evil King down to his knees again.  
  
LinkW and LinkT got into ready stances near Zelda. "So, how exactly do we finish him?"  
  
the Wind Waker asked.  
  
"Well, that's a little bit of a problem," Zelda replied. "He is kind of immortal."  
  
"Big Brother!"  
  
LinkW turned around to find Aryll running towards him. His eyes widened. "Aryll?!   
  
You're okay!"  
  
Aryll skidded to a halt next to her brother, and caught her breath. "I'm fine. She saved me,"  
  
she explained, gesturing to Zelda.  
  
The princess looked at her curiously. "Didn't I say to go hide?"  
  
Aryll nodded. "Yeah, but when I went back I met this weird owl and -"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Aryll decided to skip to the point. "I got your pendant back!" she declared, pulling the  
  
talisman out from behind her. The ornate necklace was now glowing with a soft, pink light. Zelda's  
  
eyes widened. Before anyone could do or say anything further, the talisman began to shine brightly  
  
and then disappeared in a bright flash of pink light. Aryll looked at her hands dumbfounded.   
  
"What?"  
  
Zelda shook her head. "It was supposed to do that."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
The princess gestured to Ganon. "Watch."  
  
Even as she said it, a faint pink light began to surround the battered King of Evil. The light  
  
grew in intensity until it became a bright pink cylinder around the Dark Prince. Then, the cylinder  
  
began to shrink in on Ganon. The pink light also appeared under the beast-between him and the  
  
ground-and above him in the air, completing the cylinder. The pink light continued to restrict,  
  
squeezing the Evil King as if the light was solid. When it got to the point where the light couldn't  
  
shrink much more without either crushing Ganon or breaking itself, it stopped shrinking and began  
  
to glow a blinding white. Everyone flinched away from the light. When it faded, they turned back  
  
to find the great Ganon encased in what appeared to be a giant pink glass jar.  
  
Everyone stood in silence for a few minutes. Then LinkW began to chuckle softly. Then he  
  
began to laugh outright. He patted his sister on the shoulder.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
Biting down his laughter, LinkW grinned. "Congratulations, Aryll. You just defeated  
  
Ganon."  
  
Then everyone broke out into laughter. Everyone except Ganon, who couldn't seem to  
  
brake the pink glass. 


	17. Courage, Wisdom, Power

Hey guys! Guess what! I am NOT dead after all! I'm just lazy. You can blame the lack of  
  
updates on Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Darn good game. I'm definitely going to have to do a GS  
  
fic some time soon. On a special note, I will be referring to Zelda from OoT as Zelda, and Zelda  
  
from WW as Tetra. Anyway, I suppose you all (not y'all) would like the next chapter now, huh?   
  
Please be sure to review and tell me what you think. Now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I will! Some day. It may be tomorrow.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
Courage, Wisdom, Power  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
Everyone stood in silence for a few minutes. Then LinkW began to chuckle softly. Then he  
  
began to laugh outright. He patted his sister on the shoulder.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
Biting down his laughter, LinkW grinned. "Congratulations, Aryll. You just defeated  
  
Ganon."  
  
Then everyone broke out into laughter. Everyone except Ganon, who couldn't seem to  
  
brake the pink glass.  
  
NOW:  
  
Atop Ganon's Tower, the laughter began to die away. Aryll was blushing at all the attention  
  
and her older brother was having trouble breathing from laughing so hard. Saria had to wipe tears  
  
from here eyes she had been laughing so hard. Tetra had been laughing as well, and now her side  
  
was killing her. LinkT was in about the same shape. Medli and Makar had rejoined the others and  
  
had their fair share of laughter, Makar had fallen over and couldn't get himself back up. They just  
  
left him like that.  
  
As the laughter died, the adventurers lowered their tired bodies down onto whatever they  
  
could find. LinkW, Makar, and Aryll took seats on the ground. Tetra, Medli, and Saria all took  
  
seats on various rocks. LinkT and Zelda sat on the remains of a fallen pillar.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Tetra finally spoke up. "So, what exactly happened here?"  
  
she asked. Everyone looked around from one to the other. Finally, all heads faced Zelda.  
  
The blue spandex-clad Hylean Princess gave out a soft sigh. She motioned towards Aryll.   
  
"She brought my pendant up here. That pendant was actually a magical talisman. It was designed  
  
for the sole purpose of sealing Ganon away in an unbreakable magic jar."  
  
The others nodded. "Okay," Tetra replied. "And, uh, who are you?"  
  
"My name is Zelda."  
  
"Oh . . . . WHAT?!"  
  
LinkT chuckled softly at the pirate's facial expression. This was going to be interesting.  
  
LinkW turned to Tetra. He scratched the back of his head in confusion. "But . . . I thought  
  
you were Zelda," he said to his pirate friend.  
  
Tetra rolled her eyes. "You really are dense, Link, aren't you?"  
  
The Zelda wearing blue spandex turned to the Hero of Time in confusion. "But . . . I  
  
thought you were Link."  
  
LinkT let out a long sigh. "Oh boy," he muttered. He cleared his throat to get everyone's  
  
attention. Once everyone was looking his way, LinkT stood and made his announcement. "Look,  
  
he is Link." He motioned to LinkW. "And I am Link." He pointed his thumb at himself. "She is  
  
Zelda." He motioned towards Zelda. "And she is Zelda." He motioned to Tetra. "Any questions?"  
  
". . . . ."  
  
LinkT's shoulders sagged at the bewildered expressions he was receiving. The only person  
  
not confused was Saria, who knew everything he did.  
  
"Oh! I get it!" Everyone turned to Aryll curiously. She blushed slightly at the stares.   
  
"Well, uh, she's the Zelda from your time, isn't she?" she blond girl asked the Hero of Time.  
  
LinkT raised an eyebrow in amusement and nodded. He turned to LinkW. "You know, I  
  
think your sister would make a better hero."  
  
"Shove it."  
  
Tetra studied her past counterpart intently, who just so happened to be studying her as well.   
  
"So," the piratess finally said, "you're from before the flood, right?"  
  
Zelda nodded. "So, you're a descendent of my family?"  
  
Tetra shrugged. "I guess so."  
  
"Excuse me," interjected Medli, "but, how can she be your descendant if you are here?"  
  
Zelda shrugged. "I had a brother. She must be descended from him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Tetra stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Alright, but, um, what exactly are you doing here?"  
  
Zelda repositioned herself on the fallen pillar before answering. Finally, she spoke, "When  
  
Ganon returned from his banishment to the Sacred Realm, Hyrule was unable to defend itself.   
  
Before we turned the fate of the land over to the gods, that pendant was forged. It was infused with  
  
magical power so that it could seal Ganon away, even if we couldn't send him back to the Sacred  
  
Realm. However, the pendant required an incredible amount of energy to work. Before it could be  
  
used, it would have to charge up for over a century."  
  
Zelda paused to take a breath and make sure everyone was following her story. "My father  
  
gave me the pendant and sealed me in a magic crystal hidden deep within the Shadow Temple. The  
  
crystal was designed to release me if and when Hyrule was raised again from the sea. I'm guessing  
  
you all had something to do with that." The others nodded.  
  
Tetra folded her arms and leaned back in her seat. "Alright, that was a sort of 'just incase'  
  
weapon."  
  
Zelda nodded. Then she turned to LinkT. "But, what are you doing here? AND WHERE  
  
THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?!"  
  
The Hero of Time let out an, "Eep!" and fell off the pillar he was sitting on. He climbed  
  
back up and dusted himself off. "Well, uh, you remember the Fierce Deity?"  
  
Zelda gave him rather dangerous look. "Oh course I remember! You went charging off  
  
after him and we never saw either of you again! I thought you were dead!"  
  
LinkT blinked in surprise. He could have been mistaken, but did Zelda just have a tear in  
  
her eye? Oh well, it didn't matter right now. "Well, just about," he explained. "You see, I finally  
  
caught up with the Oni, but I couldn't beat him. Any normal sword could not injure him, and I  
  
didn't have the Master Sword then."  
  
Zelda nodded, signaling for the Hero to continue. Link took a breath. "Well, when I  
  
realized I couldn't win the fight, I used the Triforce of Courage to trap myself and the demon in  
  
stone. The intent was to seal the both of us away forever. Obviously, something went wrong. The  
  
Oni and I were both released a little under a month ago."  
  
Zelda listened with rapt attention and LinkT continued. "When I awoke, I found out that the  
  
Ganon had risen again and these two," he motioned towards LinkW and Tetra, "had beaten him.   
  
They had used the Master Sword to seal him in stone att he bottom of the sea. Unfortunately, we  
  
now needed the Master Sword to deal with the Fierce Deity. This resulted in us using the Triforce to  
  
raise Hyrule and then picking that battle with Ganon."  
  
Zelda let out a low whistle. "Never thought I'd see the day you actually started a fight with  
  
Ganondorf." The Hero of Time shrugged. Then the Hylean princess stood up and walked over to  
  
her old friend. She surprised him by hugging him tightly. After getting over the initial shock, the  
  
Hero of Time sent the snickering Wind Waker a death glare. He then blushed when he saw Saria  
  
wink at him.  
  
The next several minutes were spent explaining the current situation to Zelda in more detail.   
  
Soon everyone was discussing their next course of action. The Links were both all for going after  
  
the Fierce Deity within the next few days. The Zeldas thought it better to wait. Aryll and Saria  
  
sided with the princesses, while Medli and Makar sided with the heroes.  
  
Zelda gave an exasperated sigh and brushed some loose strands of hair out of her face. "You  
  
know, sooner or later the Fierce Deity will find us. I suggest we just wait for that."  
  
LinkT shook his head. "When we fight, I want it to be on my own terms. Not his."  
  
LinkW quickly agreed. "It would be bad if we waited and he caught us by surprise when we  
  
were vulnerable."  
  
"Yeah, that would be a crying shame."  
  
All heads suddenly whipped around to the direction that the new voice had come from. A  
  
pale figure stood off to the side, leaning against a large stone slab. The figure had its arms folded in  
  
front of its silver breastplate. A smirk graced the figures lips and its pupil-less eyes burned with  
  
wicked mischief.  
  
"Daoshin!" LinkT cried as he and LinkW leapt to their feet.  
  
The smirk on the Fierce Deity's face faltered slightly. "Where did you learn my name, Hero  
  
Boy?"  
  
The only response he got was the readying of swords and the drawing of arrows. The god of  
  
wrath's smirk turned to a fiendish grin. "Well, anyway. I believe I can solve your previous  
  
argument for you."  
  
LinkW rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."  
  
"But of course," the Oni replied, straightening himself and walking away from the stone slab  
  
he had been leaning on. The Fierce Deity held his massive sword in one hand, the blade slung over  
  
his shoulder. He approached the heroes, but stopped several yards away. "I believe we have some  
  
unfinished business."  
  
The Links braced themselves, swords and shields ready. Tetra and Saria aimed their bows at  
  
the demon, Light Arrows ready. Zelda held her dagger in one hand, prepared to use magic with the  
  
other. Aryll, Medli, and Makar backed off to a safe distance. The deity grinned. "Why don't you  
  
lead off?" he prompted.  
  
LinkW nodded his head slightly and the twang of two bow strings sounded. The Oni stood  
  
unmoving as the Light Arrows approached him. He didn't bother to dodge. He merely stood still,  
  
unaffected by the explosions of light that lit up his body. He grinned.  
  
Tetra blinked in surprise when she saw that her arrow had no effect. She then quickly strung  
  
a second, as did Saria. The two fired, but again got no results.  
  
After the second volley of Light Arrows had proven ineffective, LinkT decided that it was  
  
time to try out the Blade of Evil's Bane. He yelled and charged at the demigod. The Master Sword  
  
glimmered brightly in his hand. Unfortunately, the Hero of Time never reached his target. The Oni  
  
raised his free hand, directing it at LinkT. The green-clad hero was lifted off his feet and propelled  
  
backwards. He slammed into a large stone slab. The invisible force working against him continued  
  
to force him into the stone. Cracks began to form on the slab, until a small crater was formed  
  
around the Hero of Time as he was pushed into and through the stone. Finally, the stone gave way,  
  
and LinkT went sailing out the other side to collapse on the ground, Master Sword falling from his  
  
hand.  
  
After seeing his counterpart thrown through the air, LinkW also attacked the Fierce Deity.   
  
He, however, managed to close the ground to his opponent and unleash a flurry of attacks with his  
  
sword. The Fierce Deity, however, lazily dodged every attack without once moving his weapon.   
  
LinkW's offensive was brought to a close when the Oni fired a blast of magic in his face, sending the  
  
Hero of Winds sprawling to the ground.  
  
The Hero of Time struggled to his feet and rejoined his comrades. LinkW also crawled back  
  
to his feet. They faced the Fierce Deity, who only grinned at them wickedly.  
  
"I thought I wouldn't stand a chance against your precious sword, Hero Boy," the demon-  
  
god taunted. LinkT cursed under his breath. What had happened? How had the Oni gotten so  
  
strong?  
  
Daoshin grinned more broadly. "Don't you see?" he said. "I have gained ultimate power. I  
  
am invincible!"  
  
"What are you jabbering about?" LinkW asked in annoyance.  
  
The demon grinned all the more. He raised his free hand in the air, the back side facing the  
  
heroes. "See for yourselves. I cannot be defeated!" Markings on the Oni's hand became visible.   
  
Golden markings. Soon, the symbol of the Triforce shone brightly on the demons hand. The full  
  
Triforce.  
  
The heroes gasped in surprise and horror as realization dawned on them. The Fierce Deity  
  
had the Triforce!  
  
"Crap," LinkW muttered, summing up everyone's feelings on the situation.  
  
Tetra and Saria kept arrows trained on the demigod. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.   
  
"Don't you see? Your weapons are useless." The girls exchanged nervous glances before lowering  
  
their bows. They had seen just how much good the Light Arrows did.  
  
LinkT tightened his grip on the Master Sword. "No. This sword can still kill you!" he  
  
cried, again charging.  
  
Daoshin's amused smile vanished. It was replaced by an irritated look. "Look boy! You  
  
can't beat me!" He raised his sword and swung it. The double-helix blade connected with the  
  
Master Sword in a loud explosion of energy. The force of the blow hurled LinkT backwards,  
  
skidding across the ground. The Fierce Deity was unharmed.  
  
The Hero of Time couldn't believe it. *This can't be happening!* he screamed in his mind.  
  
*There is no way! Not now!* he struggled back to his feet. There had to be something to do! *I  
  
can't think of anything to do but run away.* LinkT straightened himself. "Medli," he called back.   
  
"Give your harp to Zelda." The Rito maiden quickly complied to the strange request. Zelda looked  
  
at LinkT confused.  
  
LinkT narrowed his eyes, turning them to one side. "Medli, Tetra. Each of you put a hand  
  
on Zelda's shoulder." The girls complied, although they still didn't know what was going on.   
  
LinkT turned his gaze to the other side. Aryll, Makar. Each of you touch Saria." Puzzled, but not  
  
in any kind of mood to argue, the human put a hand on her friend's shoulder while the Korok placed  
  
one on her boot.  
  
"What are you playing at, boy?" Daoshin demanded.  
  
"You'll see," came the reply. LinkT turned to his counterpart. "Put a hand on my  
  
shoulder." Shrugging, the Wind Waker did so.  
  
LinkT then pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He rose it up so that it nearly touched his  
  
mouth. "Zelda. Saria," he called out. "Play the minuet."  
  
The girls' eyes widened as they caught on. Soon the sound of two ocarinas and a harp filled  
  
the air.  
  
"What ARE you doing?" the Fierce Deity demanded.  
  
LinkT smirked as he finished the tune. "See you later."  
  
With that, the group of heroes was caught up in a shimmer of green light. They all vanished  
  
in a shower of green sparks. The Fierce Deity blinked in surprise. What the? They were gone!   
  
Then he understood. They had gotten away. Again.  
  
"CURSE YOU!!!!" 


	18. The Guardian of the Forest

Hey all! I'm back!! Sorry about the serious pause in updates. I was kind of busy and uninspired.   
  
Also, I had several other fanfic ideas I wanted to work on. My bad. Due to popular opinion, I will  
  
now be continuing with this story. You know, it's harder to make yourself write in the summer  
  
when you have more free time. Strange, huh? Please be sure to drop me a review and tell me what  
  
you think. Well now, on with the (long awaited) update!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I will! Some day. It may be tomorrow.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
The Guardian of the Forest  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
"What ARE you doing?" the Fierce Deity demanded.  
  
LinkT smirked as he finished the tune. "See you later."  
  
With that, the group of heroes was caught up in a shimmer of green light. They all vanished  
  
in a shower of green sparks. The Fierce Deity blinked in surprise. What the? They were gone!   
  
Then he understood. They had gotten away. Again.  
  
"CURSE YOU!!!!"  
  
NOW:  
  
In a shower of green sparkles, eight figures materialized upon a grey stone platform deep in  
  
a dense forest. The disoriented figures stumbled for a moment before getting their bearings.  
  
"Where are we?" asked the Wind Waker.  
  
"This is the Sacred Forest Meadow," replied Saria. "It is the entrance to the Forest Temple."   
  
She gestured towards an outcropping of stone above their heads that appeared to be manmade,  
  
although rather weathered.  
  
LinkT nodded. "Come on. We should go see the Deku Tree."  
  
Makar looked up at him. "The Great Deku Tree? Are we near the Forest Haven?"  
  
"If that's what they call the Kokiri Forest now, then yes." LinkT led the group out of the  
  
meadow into the eerie, misty forest.  
  
"This place reminds me of the Forbidden Woods," LinkW commented.  
  
"Close," Saria replied. "This is the Lost Woods. I believe that what you call the 'Forbidden  
  
Woods' is actually a part of the Lost Woods."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The group continued on in silence for a while longer. LinkT had relinquished the lead to  
  
Saria, who knew the woods better than him. The Kokiri girl marched on, as if she owned the place.  
  
"How do you know where you're going?" Tetra finally questioned the green haired girl as  
  
she lead them through the hollowed trunk of a giant fallen tree.  
  
Saria smiled. "I was raised here. I know this place like the back of my hand."  
  
"Alright," LinkT replied smiling. "So what does the back of your hand look like?"  
  
"Huh?" Saria asked in surprise. "Well . . . I . . . Shut up, Link! It's an expression!" The  
  
Hero of Time chuckled at his flustered friend.  
  
"How much longer until we get out of this forest?" Medli asked.  
  
"Oh, about five seconds," Saria replied, pointing to another hollow log to walk through.   
  
"We're there."  
  
The group walked through the log to find themselves in the Forest Haven, formerly the  
  
Kokiri Forest.  
  
"I'm home!" Makar declared, running on ahead of the others.  
  
Saria nudged LinkT. "Technically, so are we." The Hero of Time shrugged.  
  
The group walked on, catching up to a now stunned Makar. Before them was The Great  
  
Deku Tree. Before the Guardian Spirit of the Forest were assembled all of the Korok. But that  
  
wasn't all. A group of children were assembled there as well. They all wore green cloths and had  
  
fair hair. Fairies flittered around over their heads.  
  
As the adventurers crept closer, they could overhear an argument between the Korok Linder,  
  
and one of the children with red hair.  
  
"Look, I don't care what you claim to be the 'big boss' of, I'm in charge here!"  
  
"Pipe down, you walking stump! I've been in charge since the forest was first inhabited!"  
  
"You disrespectful little brat! I'll have you know-!"  
  
"I'm not listening to something as little as-!"  
  
"Why you little-!"  
  
"You're the little one, you-!"  
  
"Excuse me," the Deku Tree said, interrupting the argument. "I believe that I am in charge  
  
here. And if you two would quit bickering, we have guests."  
  
Realizing that the Deku Tree knew they were there, LinkW was the first to step out in the  
  
clear, along with Makar.  
  
"What the? No-Fairy-Boy? What are you doing here?!" the red haired boy sputtered.  
  
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "What? Who are you?"  
  
"His name is Mido," answered LinkT, now stepping into the clear as well. "He can be a real  
  
twit sometimes." Mido gaped at the Hero of Time, as Navi floated around his head. LinkW  
  
couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if the Deku Tree was smirking.  
  
"Actually, most of the time," added Saria as she stepped into view.  
  
"Saria?!"  
  
"Well, of course!" she replied smiling. The rest of the adventurers trailed out after her. By  
  
now, the children, the Kokiri, had all gathered around, surprised to see their friends again. chatter  
  
spread among the group as everyone met up with old friends. The Kokiri were overjoyed to see  
  
Link and Saria again. Well, Saria at least. Mido didn't seem to keen on seeing Link, let alone two  
  
of him!  
  
Eventually, the Great Deku Tree called for everyone's attention. "It is good to see both of  
  
you again, Wind Waker and Hero of Time," he declared.  
  
LinkT let out a low whistle. "Man, you've really grown," he said to the talking tree.  
  
The Deku Tree chuckled. "Indeed, Link. Last time I saw you 'twas but a sapling."  
  
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "You mean he was small once?"  
  
The Deku Tree smiled. "Of course. Even trees must be young at some time." LinkW  
  
shrugged.  
  
"Now," the Guardian of the Forest continued. "Linder has relayed the information you gave  
  
to him on your earlier encounter." At this, the little Korok puffed himself out, trying to look  
  
important. "Now, I can sense that something has happened. The darkness upon the land is  
  
increasing. Could you perhaps inform me of what has transpired sense your encounter with my  
  
scout party?"  
  
"Of course," LinkT replied. "But . . . could we maybe eat first? We're all starving." The  
  
group all nodded in agreement. Fighting Ganon can really work up an appetite.  
  
The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "But of course. Korok! Kokiri! Let us prepare a feast for  
  
our guests!" A cheer went out through the group and everyone began to scramble around, preparing  
  
the food.  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
That night, the heroes and the forest dwellers all broke apart to either talk or find a place to  
  
sleep. LinkT and Zelda sat against the trunk of a large tree. They had been catching up on the  
  
things each had missed. Currently, they both sat in a comfortable silence. The princess rested her  
  
head on the Hero's shoulder. If it hadn't been so dark, she might have seen his cheeks turn red.  
  
"Link, promise me you won't leave like that again," Zelda finally said.  
  
"Er, well, I'll try not to," he replied.  
  
"Link. Promise me."  
  
"I promise that if at all possible I will not leave again. But you know I can't guarantee it,"  
  
he said sternly.  
  
Zelda frowned at him, but that soon turned to a soft smile. "Stupid self-sacrificing heroes."   
  
Link turned back to her and cracked a small grin. The princess smiled. "Just remember, if you get  
  
yourself killed, when I die I will make your afterlife miserable!"  
  
The Hero chuckled. "Okay. It's a deal." Zelda smiled and put her head back on his  
  
shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, before Link decided to ask a question. "Um, Zelda?"  
  
". . . . . ."  
  
"Zelda?"  
  
". . . . . ."  
  
"Uh, are you asleep?" No response. *Aw, great,* Link thought sarcastically. *She fell  
  
asleep! Now I can't move without waking her up! And my leg's asleep!* He looked down at her.   
  
*Well, I guess there are worse situations I could be in.* He wrapped an arm around the princess's  
  
shoulders and rested his head on top of hers before going to sleep himself.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
LinkW and Tetra both lay on a grassy clearing, their bodies positioned parallel but pointed  
  
in opposite directions with their heads next to each other. They both gazed up at the nearly full  
  
moon. Well, Tetra was gazing at the moon. Link was secretly gazing at her.  
  
"It sure is beautiful," the pirate girl commented to her companion.  
  
"Sure is," Link responded without shifting his gaze. Due to the lack of light, Link couldn't  
  
see her cheeks go pink. Unbeknownst to him, Tetra knew where he was looking.  
  
"So, what do you think were going to do now?" the piratess asked, trying not to let the Hero  
  
know she was embarrassed.  
  
This time Link did shift his gaze upwards. "I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see if  
  
the Great Deku Tree comes up with anything." They had informed the Deku Tree of what had  
  
transpired after supper. The Guardian of the Forest said that he would think on these things  
  
overnight and see if he could come up with anything in the morning.  
  
Tetra smiled softly. "Gee, who thought that our quest for a new homeland would have led to  
  
all this?"  
  
"Yeah, who knew." Link turned his head back towards Tetra. "Well, I'm sure we'll think  
  
of something to pull this off."  
  
The pirate girl turned to meet his gaze. "I guess you're right. Goodnight, Link."  
  
"Goodnight, Tetra."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
the next morning, the adventurers, the Korok, and the Kokiri all congregated around the base  
  
of the Great Deku Tree to see what the wise Forest Spirit had come up with. Everyone was seated  
  
on the grass around the great tree.  
  
"Very well," the Deku Tree declared, getting everyone's attention. "After meditating all  
  
night I may have come up with a possible course of action. However, I cannot guarantee results."  
  
The adventurers exchanged nervous glances. "What is your idea?" LinkW finally asked.  
  
The Deku Tree closed its wooden eyes for a moment before continuing. "In ancient legends  
  
there is a tower spoken of. It is called the Advent of the Goddesses. It is said that this is the place  
  
from which the goddesses oversee the mortal world. Legend has it that any mortal who can scale to  
  
the top of the tower will be blessed personally by the goddesses and receive tremendous power.   
  
Some legends say that one might even see the goddesses themselves. Regardless, this power from  
  
the goddesses is the only thing I can think of that could possibly stand against the Fierce Deity and  
  
the Triforce."  
  
A murmur ran through the group as everyone discussed this amongst themselves. Finally,  
  
LinkT asked, "So how do we find this tower?"  
  
"To enter the tower," the Deku Tree explained, "One chosen by the goddesses must hold the  
  
three keys to enter the tower, which resides in the Sacred Realm."  
  
"Three keys?" asked LinkT.  
  
"Chosen by the goddesses?" asked LinkW.  
  
"Only the Legendary Hero, chosen by the goddesses, may enter the tower," the Deku Tree  
  
explained. His wooden lips formed a grin. "Fortunately, we seem to have two of those." The Links  
  
each scratched the back of their heads sheepishly.  
  
"So what about the keys?" asked Zelda.  
  
"The keys are the three pieces of an ancient talisman forged by angels."  
  
"So, where do we find these pieces?" Tetra asked.  
  
"Each piece is held by a powerful sorceress. The Sorceress of Fire resides within a mountain  
  
close to Death Mountain. The Sorceress of Water resides at the bottom of what used to be the  
  
domain of the Zoras, where Lord Jabun once lived. The Sorceress of Earth resides upon a bluff  
  
north of Hyrule Castle."  
  
LinkT nodded. "So we have to find these sorceresses and ask them for the parts of the  
  
talisman? Or will we have to fight them?"  
  
The Guardian of the Forest looked thoughtful. "I do not know, but I imagine that you will  
  
have to prove your strength to them before they will give you the keys."  
  
"Do we really have time to go running around to find these sorceresses?" Saria asked.  
  
"I would imagine not," the Deku Tree replied. "That is why I suggest you split up. Only  
  
the Links, Tetra, and Zelda would be able to enter the sorceresses' temples. I would advise that the  
  
Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds each seek out one of the sorceresses, while both princesses seek  
  
out one together."  
  
Tetra seemed about to make a comment about not needing help, but LinkW put a hand on  
  
her shoulder, silencing her. "Do you think that we will be able to make it through the temples alone  
  
and face the sorceresses?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," the Deku Tree replied. "Both you and the Hero of Time have proven yourselves able  
  
to do this type of questing in the past. The princesses are not experienced at this, that is why they  
  
should work together. I am sure you can all succeed."  
  
LinkT turned to his companions. "So, what do you guys think? Split up and meet back here  
  
after we each get our piece to the talisman?"  
  
LinkW nodded. "It seems like the best plan we have."  
  
"That's because we don't have any other plans," Tetra countered. "But, we might as well  
  
give it a try."  
  
"I agree," Zelda said. "But who should go to which temple?"  
  
LinkT turned to his counterpart. "You have a pair of iron boots, right?" The Wind Waker  
  
nodded. "But you don't have any hover boots, do you?"  
  
"Whats?"  
  
"I'll take that as a 'no'," the Hero of Time rummaged through a satchel that was hidden on  
  
his back under his shield. "You should probably go after the Water Sorceress. I bet you'll need iron  
  
boots, but probably not hover boots, which might be needed to reach the Fire Sorceress. Here, take  
  
this." LinkT threw a blue colored tunic to his counterpart.  
  
"What's this?" LinkW asked, examining the clothes.  
  
"It's a Zora Tunic. It will allow you to breath underwater."  
  
"What? Really? That's awesome!"  
  
LinkT nodded. "I'll take my Goron Tunic and go after the Fire Sorceress."  
  
LinkW shrugged. "If you want to get burnt to a crisp, that's your problem."  
  
"I guess that means we're going after the Earth Sorceress," Tetra said.  
  
"Right," LinkT responded. "I'm not really sure what kind of equipment you girls will need  
  
there. Do either of you have a hookshot?"  
  
They both shook their heads. "I have a grappling hook," Zelda offered.  
  
The Hero of Time rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That could help, but a hookshot would be  
  
really useful."  
  
"Hey Link!" Navi pipped up from above his head. "What about the old one you had before  
  
the longshot?"  
  
LinkT thought for a moment. After returning from Termina he had sort of raided some of  
  
the temples for supplies, gathering the Longshot, the Megaton Hammer, and both pairs of special  
  
boots. He already had the other equipment from his time in Termina. If he recalled, he still had the  
  
old hookshot from the pirate's fortress. He began to rummage through his satchel again, before  
  
producing the golden colored item.  
  
"Here we go," he said, handing the hookshot over to Zelda. "This should be useful."  
  
"Yes, but we need two of them," the princess replied.  
  
LinkT nodded and thought for a second. "You two are going North of the castle, right? If  
  
you make a stop by Kakariko Village on you're way, you should be able to find a second one."  
  
"In Kakariko?" Zelda asked. "But there isn't much left of it. I've already been there."  
  
"Find the grave of Dampe, the gravedigger. If you move the headstone, you should be able  
  
to enter the crypt. If I'm not mistaken, Dampe's ghost will give you his hookshot if you beat him in  
  
a race."  
  
Tetra raised an eyebrow. "You must be kidding. Enter a crypt and race a ghost?"  
  
"No joke," LinkT replied.  
  
"That's just . . . wrong!" the piratess declared.  
  
Zelda smiled slyly. "If you're to scared, I suppose I could race the ghost on my own."  
  
Tetra bolted upright. "Scared? Scared?! Who said I was scared?!"   
  
Zelda smiled. "Alright then. We will stop by Kakariko to get a second hookshot." Tetra  
  
looked torn between arguing and keeping her pride. Finally she agreed.  
  
"What else will they need?" LinkW pondered out loud.  
  
"Bows wouldn't hurt," Saria interjected.  
  
"I can have two fairy bows made by morning," the Deku Tree added.  
  
LinkW nodded. "Alright, so they have bows. What else?"  
  
"How about swords?"  
  
"We already have daggers," Tetra pointed out.  
  
"How much good will a dagger do against a Stalfos Knight?" LinkT countered.  
  
"Good point."  
  
"I believe that I can help with that," announced the Guardian of the Forest. The earth  
  
trembled for a moment as one of the great tree's massive roots tore free of the soil and lifted in the  
  
air. The adventurers crept up to the crevice created in the earth and peered inside. To everyone's  
  
surprise, inside the crevice was a giant pile of various weapons. Swords, spears, shields, axes, and  
  
various other weapons were all piled in there. "This is a collection of weapons from the war before  
  
Hyrule was united," the Great Deku Tree explained. "The were pile up here after the war so that  
  
they could not be used again. However, I believe that we have ample reason to wield them once  
  
again."  
  
Zelda, Tetra, and the Links all hopped down into the crevice. The girls shifted through the  
  
pile looking for suitable weapons. Most were rusted and useless, but some of them had been forged  
  
by great smiths and some had been infused with magic powers. These weapons were quite usable.   
  
The two heroes helped their respective princesses sort through the piles looking for a good blade.  
  
Finally, Zelda found a suitable weapon. She lifted out a sleek katana sword, a weapon of the  
  
Sheikah tribe. The sword was decorated with the image of an eastern style dragon and had  
  
engravings on the blade in a long dead language. The princess also found a belt of throwing knives  
  
she thought might be useful.  
  
Tetra eventually found an ornate, ruby encrusted sabre that had a keen edge. She also  
  
selected a pronged dagger, which could be used to trap an opponents blade.  
  
After everyone had crawled back out of the pit, the Deku Tree lowered it's root back down,  
  
covering the weapons cache. The meeting was dispersed. Everyone had agreed to set off in the  
  
morning. They would travel together to the entrance to Zora's Domain, where LinkW would  
  
separate from the group. The others would continue to Kakariko, where LinkT would help the girls  
  
find another hookshot. LinkT would then continue up Death Mountain to find a way to the next  
  
mountain, while the girls headed north near Hyrule Castle.   
  
They decided to spend the remainder of the day in the forest preparing to set out. 


	19. Search for the Sorceresses

Hey there! It's another chapter! Yeah! See, I'm really not abandoning this fic! Anyway, on with  
  
the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I own . . . . . . no Zelda.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
Search for the Sorceresses  
  
LinkT, LinkW, Zelda, and Tetra stood at the edge of the Kokiri Forest preparing to leave.   
  
They waved to their friends. Aryll, Saria, Makar, and Medli were remaining in the forest. They,  
  
along with the Kokiri were going to "set up camp" in the Forest Temple and keep hidden from the  
  
Fierce Deity. The Legendary Heroes and the Princesses of Destiny had to go this part of their  
  
journey alone.  
  
With one last glance back, the adventurers passed the threshold of the forest. They had to  
  
cover their eyes and the sudden advent of sunlight nearly blinded them. After adjusting to the light,  
  
they began to move away from the woods toward the great plains of Hyrule.  
  
As they walked, Tetra constantly fiddled around with the hilt of her newly acquired sabre,  
  
unused to carrying such a thing. Zelda, on the other hand, was continually adjusting the bow on her  
  
back. True to his word, the Deku Tree had two brand new fairy bows ready by the time they arose  
  
in the morning. He also had four full quivers of arrows ready for the adventurers.  
  
Once they got sufficiently far from the forest, LinkT called for them to stop. He got out the  
  
Ocarina of Time and played a tune that the others recognized as Epona's Song.  
  
"What are you doing?" LinkW asked. "Our horses are still up by the castle."  
  
"You sure?" his counterpart replied with a smirk.  
  
"Well, yeah, I . . ." LinkW was cut off by the whinny of a horse. Sure enough, four horses  
  
could be seen coming over a nearby hill, Epona in the lead. "But . . . how in the . . . ?" LinkW  
  
gaped.  
  
The Hero of Time shrugged. "I really don't know how it works, but don't look a gift horse  
  
in the mouth." LinkW raised an eyebrow. "Pun not intended."  
  
They horses quickly caught up with their owners, neighing softly. LinkT mounted Epona,  
  
while LinkW mounted the horse he had ridden earlier, a black mare with white trim that he called  
  
Shadow. Tetra mounted her ginger haired horse which she had aptly named Ginger. Zelda mounted  
  
the mostly white horse that Medli had ridden earlier. Strangely, the horse had no problem accepting  
  
its new rider.  
  
The four rode north, keeping the edge of the forest to their right. Zelda, of course, proved to  
  
be very capable at horsemanship, much to Tetra's chagrin. The group made good time on the trip.   
  
The rode on through the morning, stopping to eat some time around noon, shortly after reaching a  
  
small pond connected to a river that LinkT informed them was a tributary of Zora's River. They  
  
continued on, following the river to it's source. Eventually they reached the point where the small  
  
river separated from it's source, Zora's River, which flowed out from under a rock overpass. As it  
  
was evening when the group reached this point, they decided to make camp for the night there, under  
  
the rocks that formed a sort of gate to the source of Zora's River.  
  
In the morning, LinkT told his counterpart as much as he could remember about the  
  
upstream part of Zora's River and about the Zora's Domain. LinkW let Shadow graze out to graze,  
  
as he had to go it by foot from here on. He turned to face the river, noticing that the only ground  
  
leading through the natural gate was on the other side. "So, how do I get through here?" he asked.  
  
LinkT grinned. "Well . . . . you get wet," he replied, shoving the Wind Waker, now clad in  
  
the blue Zora Tunic, into the river.  
  
LinkW rose back to the surface, treading water and glaring at his counterpart while the girls  
  
laughed. "I will get you for that," the Wind Waker threatened before turning and swimming to the  
  
other side of the river.  
  
"Good luck!" Tetra called after him before he vanished behind the rocks.  
  
The remaining three companions continued their journey northward on horseback. The rode  
  
the entirety of that day, crossing a bridge over Zora's River in the late afternoon. They reached the  
  
entrance to Kakariko Village, or what was left of it. As Zelda had told them, the town was a wreck.   
  
They spent the night in one of the more intact buildings that the princess pointed out.  
  
The next day, the group headed to the graveyard behind the town. LinkT examined the  
  
scene. Dampe's old hut had been totally washed away and the entire area was a muddy mess. Some  
  
of the gravestones had even been yanked out of the ground. After a while, the Hero of Time picked  
  
out a grave stone that, if memory served, belonged to Dampe. He puched the stone aside and, as  
  
luck would have it, a stone lined hole was revealed.  
  
"This is it," he informed the girls. They both exchanged glances, then smiled at LinkT  
  
sweetly. *Uh oh. Something's up.*  
  
The girls batted their eyelashes, trying to look innocent. "Link, dear," Zelda began.  
  
*Red flag!*  
  
"Seeing as how you're a big, strong man," Tetra continued.  
  
*Danger! Danger! Danger!*  
  
"Don't you think that maybe you could help us poor girls out," Zelda picked up.  
  
*Oh crap! I'm screwed!*  
  
"And go fetch the hookshot for us?" Tetra concluded.  
  
LinkT glanced from one girl to the other and back. He sighed in defeat. "Alright."  
  
Both girls cheered and wished him luck. They proceeded to find places to sit where they  
  
wouldn't get muddy. *Isn't doing this once enough?* the Hero of Time thought just before he leapt  
  
down the hole.  
  
About a half hour later, LinkT crawled out a tunnel into the remains of the Kakariko  
  
Windmill. He held the old hookshot in his hand. After getting out of the ruble, he headed back to  
  
the graveyard. He found the princesses sitting on stone slabs, their backs to him. He grinned.   
  
Payback!  
  
The Hero of Time crept up to the girls slowly and silently. Soon he could hear their  
  
conversation. "And then, on my birthday, he got me the most . . . interesting present. You see, I  
  
guess he wanted to do something special . . . ," Zelda was saying, holding back giggles, as Tetra also  
  
seemed to be doing.  
  
*Oh, great!* LinkT thought, *Their telling embarrassing stories. About me!* He continued  
  
to sneak up, until he was right behind the girls.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" he yelled right behind them. They both screamed bloody  
  
murder, leapt to their feet, stumbled, and fell forward into the mud. They both stopped screaming  
  
when they caught sight of their assailant, who was laughing hysterically. They both glared up at  
  
him. "You know," he chided, "Your first reflex should have been to draw your swords."  
  
"Shut up, Link."  
  
After that little incident, LinkT parted ways with the girls. He headed up the Death  
  
Mountain Trail, while they left the town and continued north.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Still dripping water, Link the Hero of Winds trudged on down the bark of Zora's River. He  
  
had found several places where he had to jump from one side of the river to the other to continue.   
  
Actually, he had already been up this far. He had missed a jump and was washed back down to the  
  
entrance. Rivers and oceans were nothing alike.  
  
Grumbling, Link leapt over the crevice he had missed earlier and continued on. Dispatching  
  
the occasional Octorock, he soon came to the base of a large waterfall.  
  
"Looks like this is it," he muttered to himself as he climbed up onto a bridge-like stone path  
  
that crossed in front of the falls. He jumped over to another natural bridge which crossed directly in  
  
front of the waterfall. After searching for a minute he found an engraving of the Triforce, still  
  
visible after all the flooding.  
  
Link pulled out the Wind Waker and assumed his conductor's pose. He directed the baton  
  
into the varying positions associated with the notes of Zelda's Lullaby. The wind itself seemed to  
  
chant the tune as he conducted it.  
  
Once the song was finished, the ground began to rumble. The waterfall began to split in  
  
half, separating to reveal an opening in the stone wall behind the falls.  
  
"I guess he was right," Link muttered, putting away the Wind Waker and bracing himself  
  
for a jump. He leapt across the gap, landing in the opening, then continuing on in.  
  
Link was shocked by what he found. The opening led to a massive cavern. There was little  
  
dry ground to be seen, as most of the cavern was filled by a crystal clear pool of water. A massive  
  
waterfall fell from an opening high up the side of the enclosure, breaking the otherwise impregnable  
  
silence. Light, which filtered in from a number of indirect sources at the top of the cavern, bounced  
  
off of the water and danced across the stone walls. The entire place seemed untouched by the  
  
flooding of the land (of course, most of it was underwater anyway).  
  
The Hero of Winds took a moment to pry himself away from the enchanting scene. He  
  
finally began his trek up the only land path to be had, a stone ledge that lead from the entrance  
  
around the side of the cavern and eventually up a flight of stairs. Link hurried, taking the steps two  
  
at a time. When he reached the top, he found a throne-like fountain, which was the source of the  
  
waterfall below. The Hero of Time had told him to take the passage that led behind the throne, so  
  
Link did. It led outside to an enclosed lake. According to the Deku Tree, this was where the  
  
Sorceress of Water could be found.  
  
Unfortunately, there wasn't anything around that looked like a manmade structure. The  
  
entire area was covered by the lake, although parts of it were only shin deep. Link began to walk  
  
around the shallow part. There was a large fallen tree sticking out of the water, and a few large  
  
rocks. The only thing that didn't look natural was a stone platform at what could be considered the  
  
"front" of Zora's Fountain, as it was called. The platform stood a foot or so above the water. It had  
  
stairs leading up to it and several pillars on top. However, it didn't lead to anything, it just dropped  
  
off into the deeper water.  
  
Link stood at the edge of the platform looking out over the water. There was nothing there.   
  
No palace, no temple, nothing. Had the Great Deku Tree been wrong? No, the Sorceress HAD to  
  
be here somewhere. Link inspected the blue tunic he was wearing. The Hero of Time had told him  
  
that it would allow him to breath under water. Could that be it. Link shrugged. There was one way  
  
to find out.  
  
The Wind Waker crouched for a moment and hopped into the air. He tapped the heels of his  
  
boots together. Magically, heavy metal encasements formed around the boots, pulling him back  
  
down to the ground with a clank. *Time to get wet.* With that, Link hopped over the edge of the  
  
platform.  
  
As he sunk through the water, the Wind Waker tried to hold his breath. Gaging for air, he  
  
finally let go in a rush of bubbles. To his surprise, Link found that he could, indeed, breath again.   
  
It was a rather odd sensation, to breath water.  
  
Calming down, Link took a look around his surroundings as he descended through the  
  
water. the light was getting fainter, but he could still see. A few fish passed by as he looked around.   
  
Then he looked down. He blinked. The bottom of the lake was a massive flat plain, which was  
  
almost entirely covered by a giant pinkish oyster shell. Link landed softly in front of the giant shell.   
  
A large staircase led up from the ground to a giant, pearl-covered door carved into the shell. In front  
  
of the stairs were two rows of torch stands that, strangely, were burning underwater.   
  
The Hero of Winds stood for a minute, examining the odd scene. Finally, he trudged his  
  
way up the stairs to the large door. *What now?* he thought. There was no latch to pull the door  
  
open with, so how did he open it? Finally, he decided to just knock. For a moment, nothing  
  
happened. Then, suddenly, the door split in the middle, sliding open. Link stood there for a minute,  
  
then shrugged and walked in. The door closed behind him.  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
Link, the Hero of Time, scaled the rocky passes of Death Mountain. He would reach the  
  
summit soon, but he was not sure how that would help him. His target was the next mountain over,  
  
Fire Mountain. Maybe at the top of Death Mountain he would be able to see a way to cross over.  
  
About a half hour ago, Link had passed an odd sight. Settled on the rock above the  
  
Dodongo's Cavern had been the pirate ship that he and his companions had sailed on. There hadn't  
  
appeared to be anyone around anymore.  
  
Link continued walking until he finally arrived at once had once been the entrance to Goron  
  
City, however now it was the home of the Rito. Link entered to find most of the Rito congregating  
  
there, along with the pirates that worked for Tetra. When they spotted him, the pirates instantly  
  
clamored around him asking questions much more quickly than he could answer, mostly about  
  
Tetra and the others. Fortunately, the Rito Chieftain, followed by his son, soon came over and saved  
  
him from the crowd of sailors.  
  
"You are the other young man named Link, are you not?" the chieftain asked.  
  
"Yes, that's me," Link replied.  
  
The chief nodded. "I see. By chance, do you know what has happened? Why has the land  
  
resurfaced from beneath the waves?"  
  
"Actually, that was why we needed to speak with Lord Valoo earlier," Link responded.   
  
"We required this thing, which was at the bottom of the sea." He gestured to the Master Sword,  
  
which was sheathed on his back.  
  
Komali inspected the weapon. "Hey, that's Link's sword, isn't it?"  
  
The Hero of Time nodded. "Yes, he used it for a while. However, I have used it before as  
  
well."  
  
The chieftain stroked his chin. "I thought that Link said that sword was sealed with  
  
Ganondorf."  
  
"It was," Link replied. "But we needed the sword for something far more dangerous than  
  
Ganon. So we raised Hyrule and picked a fight with Ganon. We won, by the way, and sealed him  
  
up again a different way."  
  
"You freed Ganondorf to recover that sword?!" the chieftain asked in shock. "What could  
  
be worth risking Ganon's release for?"  
  
"The demon we were trying to destroy earlier," the Hero of Time responded. "He is known  
  
as the Fierce Deity, and now he has acquired the Triforce." The Rito exchanged heated whispers.   
  
"We're in a bit of a spot now," Link continued. "If we don't do something soon, the Fierce Deity  
  
will destroy the world! That's why I'm here. I'm trying to find this 'Sorceress of Fire' who is  
  
supposed to live on the next mountain over. However, I can't seem to find a way over to the  
  
mountain."  
  
Murmurs ran through the crowd of Rito. "But, Link will stop this Fierce Deity!" exclaimed  
  
prince Komali. The Rito murmured in agreement. "He's really strong," Komali continued. "He  
  
can save the world."  
  
"We already tried that," the Hero of Time replied. "Neither of us could even touch the Oni.   
  
That's why I need to find the Sorceress of Fire."  
  
"I'm afraid that I have never heard of this sorceress," the Rito chief replied. "But, if you  
  
know where you want to go, we could fly you over to the other mountain." He gestured towards the  
  
entrance. "Could you point out where you wish to go?"  
  
"Of course," Link replied. "I'm very grateful." Link and the chief, followed by Komali,  
  
Quill, and several other Rito moved outside to where they could see te other mountain. Link  
  
examined the mountain from afar. "I'm not really sure where I need to go, so anywhere would be  
  
fine."  
  
A deep voice behind them all rumbled in a forgotten language. Everyone turned around to  
  
find Valoo perched above the entrance to the Rito city. The giant red dragon looked down upon  
  
them and again spoke in his strange language.  
  
"Uh, what did he say?" Link asked.  
  
At a nod from the Chieftain, one of the maidens who served the dragon god stepped forward.   
  
"The Great Valoo greets you again. He says that he understands you seek the Sorceress of Flames."  
  
Link nodded. "That's right."  
  
Valoo again spoke. The maiden, after hearing the dragon's words, turned back to Link.   
  
"The Great Valoo says that he knows the location of the sorceress you seek."  
  
The red dragon beat his wings and took to the air. He lowered himself down even with Link,  
  
nearly resting his head on the platform the Hero and the Rito stood on. He then spoke again. Link  
  
turned to the girl translator. "The Great Valoo, wishes for you to climb on his back. He says that he  
  
will take you to the sorceress's lair."  
  
Link nodded and climbed onto Valoo's neck, just above the shoulder blades. The dragon  
  
beat his wings again and rose through the air. He soared towards the nearest mountain, looping  
  
around the other side. He swooped down towards a giant domed rock formation. The dragon  
  
touched down in front of the rock.  
  
The rock was a giant dome, shaped like a half circle. In the front, the extruding rocks stuck  
  
forward. The middle extrusion was shaped like a smooth, elongated, amphibious head. It had a  
  
slightly beaked mouth, and two narrowed eye on either side of the head. The other two extrusions  
  
were shaped like short, stubby arms.  
  
"THIS IS TURTLE ROCK."  
  
Link looked down at Valoo. "You can talk? In this language?"  
  
The dragon nodded it's head slightly as the Hero of Time slipped off. "THIS LANGUAGE  
  
OF MEN IS DIFFICULT FOR DRAGONS TO SPEAK. IF SOMEONE CAN TRANSLATE I  
  
PREFER THE ANCIENT LANGUAGES."  
  
"I see," Link replied. "He turned to the massive domes Turtle Rock. "So, this is where the  
  
sorceress lives?" The dragon nodded. "So, how do I get in?"  
  
"KNOCK AND YOU SHALL ENTER."  
  
"Knock?" Link asked raising an eyebrow. The dragon nodded. "Okay." Link walked up to  
  
the head of the turtle. He raised a fist and knocked on the turtle's nose. There was a rumbling  
  
sound, then the turtle's head began to shift, the mouth opening to reveal a passageway.  
  
Navi flew out from under Link's hat. "You know," she said. "You never have good  
  
experiences entering something's mouth. Link nodded, but entered the passage anyway. The stone  
  
turtle's mouth closed behind him.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Wow. Now that is a view!" Tetra let out a low whistle as she scanned the horizon. She  
  
stood at the edge of a massive cliff, looking out over the landscape below. Zelda stood next to her,  
  
also admiring the scenery.  
  
The two princesses had traveled north for two days to reach this cliff. From the top of it,  
  
they could look off, over a massive valley. The tree covered valley had, like Hyrule, been  
  
submerged underwater. However, barely visible at the far end of the valley was another cliff,  
  
fencing in the low lands. The cliff had probably been where Hyrule had been separated from the rest  
  
of the continent, the valley and Hyrule sinking away. Zelda had said that the far cliff did not exist  
  
previously-the high ground having been part of the valley in the pre-deluge era. Tetra noted that,  
  
had she and her friends sailed more northward on their trip to find a new homeland, they probably  
  
would have found this continent.  
  
The pirate turned to the princess. "So, you think the bluff we're looking for is here?"  
  
"I'd say that there is a good chance," Zelda replied.  
  
"So . . . . how do we find this sorceress?"  
  
"No clue."  
  
The girls began to walk along the edge of the cliff, looking for anything out of the ordinary  
  
(and admiring the view). It only took them a few minutes to find something VERY strange.  
  
"Look at this!" Tetra exclaimed, running over to a stone platform. The platform stood a few  
  
feet above the surrounding ground, with stairs leading up to it on the side away from the edge of the  
  
cliff. The other side of the platform went right out to the edge of the cliff, more or less becoming  
  
part of it. Upon the platform stood two large basins, each with a roaring fire flickering in the wind,  
  
but never going out.  
  
The princesses climbed onto the platform and began looking around. Zelda laid down on her  
  
stomach, stretching her head out over the cliff. "Hey, it's flat!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tetra asked, laying down next to her. The side of the cliff was  
  
perfectly flat, matching up exactly with the platform. "Now that is odd," Tetra mused. "Hey,  
  
what's this?" The pirate hung her arm over the edge, feeling the smooth stone. "There are  
  
indentures here!"  
  
"Let me see," Zelda responded, leaning further over the cliff to see. Evenly spaced  
  
indentures ran down the side of the cliff as far as she could see, leading to what looked like a very  
  
large cleft in the cliff. "They're handholds!" she exclaimed. "We have to scale down the side of the  
  
cliff!"  
  
Tetra looked at her like she was crazy. "We have to climb down THERE?!" Zelda gave a  
  
sympathetic look and nodded. "Just great," the pirate grumbled.  
  
"We might as well get going," Zelda advised, already lowering herself over the edge. Tetra  
  
gave a sigh and followed down.  
  
The climb down was rather unnerving for the two princesses. Each of them nearly fell at  
  
various times. Not to mention how far they had to go. It took nearly a half hour to climb down to  
  
the large opening in the bluff. By the time they got there, both girls' arms were aching.  
  
The girls took a moment to rest before examining the enclosure they were in. It was as if a  
  
giant cube had been cut out of the cliff. However, the space was not empty. A very large and wide  
  
stair case stood in the center leading up to a large stone door covered by engravings. On either side  
  
of the stairs sat an identical statue. The statues were of a woman, dressed much like a Gerudo,  
  
sitting cross legged. She had six arms, the top two clasped above her head, the middle two spread  
  
out wide, and the bottom two clutching a basin of fire that sat in her lap.  
  
The princesses walked up the stairway to the sone door. While Zelda examined the carvings  
  
on the door, Tetra raised a fist and knocked. "Anybody home?" she called out.  
  
Zelda rolled her eyes. "You're not going to get in like that."  
  
Just then, te door gave a shudder and slid up, raising out of the way. "You were saying?"  
  
Tetra remarked, smirking.   
  
Zelda rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said, entering through the door. Tetra followed, and  
  
the door lowered again, shutting behind them. 


	20. Sorceress of Water

Hey all! I'm back again! Sorry about the wait. My family moved. I went back to school. Oh  
  
yeah, and I discovered that dungeons are really, REALLY hard to write about. I can see why  
  
people don't usually do it! Please excuse how lame and short these three dungeons will be. They  
  
really are hard (and boring) to write about. Also, I wanted to fit each dungeon into it's own  
  
chapter. Anyway, I will try to get the next chapter out more quickly. Please be sure to review!   
  
Many thanks to all of you who are following this story! Now, on with the next chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Zelda. I merely control the character's fate.  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Twenty  
  
Sorceresses of Water  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
The Hero of Winds stood for a minute, examining the odd scene. Finally, he trudged his  
  
way up the stairs to the large door. *What now?* he thought. There was no latch to pull the door  
  
open with, so how did he open it? Finally, he decided to just knock. For a moment, nothing  
  
happened. Then, suddenly, the door split in the middle, sliding open. Link stood there for a  
  
minute, then shrugged and walked in. The door closed behind him.  
  
NOW:  
  
The Wind Waker glanced back at the door that had just shut, it's noise muffled by the  
  
water. He shrugged. Guess he couldn't leave until he found the sorceress. Oh well, he hadn't  
  
planned to anyway. He continued to move forward, only to find a stone wall. Fortunately, there  
  
was an opening in the ceiling above his head. Link crouched down and hopped, tapping his heels  
  
together while he was above the ground. Now, this was a very odd sight, considering that he was  
  
underwater.  
  
The iron casings on Link's boots magically disappeared when he clapped the heels  
  
together. Now free from the added weight, Link floated up to the opening. Surprisingly, the  
  
water ended just at the opening and he broke the surface. The Wind Waker took a deep breath,  
  
still treading water. He was glad to breath air again. Breathing water was just strange.  
  
Link climbed out of the pool of water and found himself in a large room. A VERY large  
  
room. A GIGANTIC room. The ceiling itself was probably three stories high. The room was  
  
more or less square, each sided containing one large door. In the very middle was a raised dias  
  
upon which sat a massive pearl in a large basin. The left and right sides of the room each had a  
  
large moat-like trough of water which started against the wall and came out about ten feet. The  
  
artificial rivers each ran the length of their respective walls. In the middle of each of the two  
  
rectangular pools was a small stone bridge which led to the door which resided in the middle of  
  
the wall. The far side of the chamber was a little different. The ground abruptly ended in a chasm  
  
that was over twenty feet wide and appeared to lead down forever. On the other side of the  
  
chasm, the ground resumed as usual, creating a twenty or so foot deep platform. In the middle of  
  
the far wall was a giant gold door that was intricately decorated. At the edge of the platform in  
  
front of the door was a metal bridge, which was hinged to the platform. It was currently in a  
  
vertical position, creating a sort of barrier in front of the door. Not that the door needed one.   
  
With the bridge up, there was no way across the chasm. On either side of the door there, there  
  
was an unlit torch stand.  
  
Now, normally, Link would have notched a fire arrow and shot the two torches to see if it  
  
lowered the bridge. However, there was one problem. In the chasm before the door, a steady  
  
wall of water fell, blocking the entire wall off. The water would undoubtably prevent a fire arrow  
  
from doing its job.  
  
Sighing, the Hero of Winds decided to investigate the two more accessible door. The left  
  
(north) door was barred, preventing passage. Link could not find a lock on it anywhere. After a  
  
minute of investigation, Link found that there were two torch stands, one on either side of the  
  
door. In the trough. Underwater. The Wind Waker groaned. The torches would be impossible  
  
to light unless the water was drained first.  
  
Link made his way over to the right (south) side door. Much to his relief, it was unlocked  
  
and unobstructed. He passed through the door to find himself in a room that curved slightly to  
  
the right. The door slammed shut behind him and bars came down from the ceiling, stranding  
  
Link in the room. But he wasn't alone. In the middle of the room, two massive, armored figures  
  
turned at the sound of the slamming door. One figure hefted a massive sword and a circular  
  
shield. Link immediately recognized it as a Darknut. The other figure lifted a giant two-handed  
  
ax. Link wasn't really sure what that figure was, but it looked as fearsome as the Darknut,  
  
perhaps more so.  
  
The two creatures advanced on the Hero of Winds. *Well, I could use a good workout,*  
  
Link thought as he unsheathed his sword and strapped on his shield. He dropped low into a  
  
fighting stance as the two armored creatures approached.  
  
With a grunt, the unknown creature hefted its mighty ax and swung it down at Link. The  
  
Wind Waker hopped back, easily avoiding the weapon, which lodged itself into the stone floor.   
  
The Darknut swung it's sword down diagonally. Link dove to the side, rolling under the blade.   
  
Now behind the monster, the Hero of Winds hopped back to his feet, slashing upward with his  
  
sword. The blade severed the straps on the back of te Darknut's armor, causing the breastplate to  
  
fall off with a clank.  
  
The ax wielding enemy managed to dislodge it's weapon an slowly marched after Link,  
  
metal boots clattering against the floor.. *These guys aren't too quick,* the Wind Waker thought.   
  
He baited the monster, which proceeded to take a horizontal swing with it's ax. Link easily  
  
dodged the attack, and leapt in closer to counter, but he was forced to retreat again as the massive  
  
ax came back at him on a return swing, nearly chopping the hylian in half. *Gotta watch out for  
  
that one!* the Wind Waker noted.  
  
The Darknut now rejoined it's comrade, both large creatures slowly approaching the Hero  
  
of Winds. Link raised his shield and dropped his body low. He smirked as he extended his arm,  
  
holding his sword straight out behind him. A golden aura appeared around the blade. As the two  
  
hulks closed in, nearing attacking range, Link gave a yell, swinging his sword and sending himself  
  
in to a dizzying spin. Yellow magic energy coursed through his sword, forming what appeared to  
  
be a yellow ring around the lad. Balancing on one foot, Lin, the human top, glided towards his  
  
opponents like a buzz saw. The two creatures attempted to strike, but weren't quick enough.   
  
The clatter of metal colliding quickly and repeatedly with other metal could be heard, along with  
  
the thrashing of blade against hide.  
  
The two dark creatures were thrown back. The Darknut fell to the ground and was  
  
consumed by dark magical fires. The other opponent staggered back, its broken armor falling  
  
from it's body.  
  
It took Link a second to reorient himself after his Hurricane Spin. When he had recovered  
  
from the dizziness, he turned to face his remaining opponent, who was also just recovering. The  
  
creature quickly struck out, swinging vertically at the Hero of Winds. Link easily dodged and  
  
shook his head as the monster again got its ax stuck in the floor. Link quickly darted in and cut  
  
his opponent a fatal blow. The monster collapsed, also disappearing in a blaze of magic fires.  
  
Now that the enemies were defeated, the bars on the door Link had entered through slip  
  
up, freeing the exit. At the far end of the room, another door was unblocked in a similar way.   
  
The Wind Waker sighed, choosing the door he had not already been through and continued his  
  
journey.  
  
The next room was box shaped. In the middle, a pool of water split the room in half. The  
  
ground on the far side of the pool was raised so that a person could not climb out of the water on  
  
that side. On the side that Link entered through, there was a circular grate on the floor, with an  
  
identical grate on the ceiling directly above it. A constant stream of water poured from the top, to  
  
strong for the Wind Waker to pass through. Inside the jet of water, Link could just make out the  
  
form of a chest.  
  
Glancing around, Link spotted a strange design on the wall. It looked like a plaque of a  
  
large eye. Now, the Hero of Winds was already in a testy mood, and he really didn't like the way  
  
that eye was watching him, be it an inanimate object or not. Pulling out his bow, Link notched  
  
three arrows and shot them right into the middle of the eye. The eyelid lowered, closing the eye.   
  
At the same time, the flow of water from the ceiling stopped, exposing the chest.  
  
Link grinned and opened the chest to find a small, silver key. He liked those kind of  
  
switches. The Hero of Winds turned to examine the far side of the room. How could he get to  
  
the raised other side? Thinking about some of his past "experiments" with magic arrows, he  
  
pulled out an arrow and notched it. The arrowhead began to glow with a cold, blue energy. Link  
  
fired the Ice Arrow into the pool of water. The area where the arrow hit immediately froze into a  
  
flat platform of ice, which floated on top of the water. Smiling, Link hopped onto the platform  
  
before it could melt enough to sink, and jumped over to the far side, where he caught the ledge  
  
and pulled himself up. He was greeted by a locked door, which he opened with his newly  
  
acquired key.  
  
The next room was rather small. On the middle of the floor, a large circular design was  
  
carved. On the ceiling above it was a grate, but no water was coming from it. Link went and  
  
stood on the middle of the circular design and examined the room. From where he now stood,  
  
the Wind Waker could now see a small hole in the wall. It led to a small tunnel that went back ten  
  
or so feet. At the end of the tunnel was another of the eyeball switches. Standing at any other  
  
point on the floor, Link would not be able to see all the way down the tunnel, let a lone shoot.   
  
The Hero of Winds notched an arrow and fired it into the eye, which closed. For a second,  
  
nothing happened. Then, water came gushing from the grate above his head, nearly knocking him  
  
over.  
  
*Great,* Link thought. *Just what I need. More water.*  
  
That's when the floor opened up under his feet.  
  
With a yelp, the Wind Waker found himself being flushed through a long, twisting series  
  
of large pipes. After several moments, Link caught a glimpse of light. Then, he suddenly found  
  
himself airborne. For a couple of seconds, anyway. Then the Hero of Winds crashed down into a  
  
small pool, next to a large pipe, which was spewing up water into the air, like it had done him.  
  
Gathering his wits and his dignity (thank the goddesses no one had seen that) Link climbed  
  
to his feet and trudged out of the pool. He was now in a smaller sized room, which was half  
  
occupied by the pool he had just climbed out of. On the dry half of the room was another circle  
  
on the floor, next to a small opening in the wall, which Link guessed was another pipe ride. Oh  
  
joy. Also, there was a large white crystal. Link promptly drew his sword and whacked the crystal  
  
(because everyone knows that is what you do to large crystals sitting conspicuously in the middle  
  
of a room). The crystal began to glow yellow. Figuring that was all he could do here, the Wind  
  
Waker moved over to the circle on the floor and flushed himself out of the room.  
  
With a thud, Link landed in the room where he had fought the Darknut and the ax  
  
wielding monster. He quickly decided that he preferred to land in a pool of water, as opposed to  
  
on a stone floor. Dragging himself out of the massive puddle which had formed around him, the  
  
Hero of Winds went to the door he had originally entered the room through.  
  
Once Link entered the massive entrance room, which he had dubbed "The Lobby," he  
  
stopped as the ground gave a rumble. The Wind Waker watched as the giant pearl in the middle  
  
of the room began to shimmer in different colors. Finally, the pearl began to rise, levitating in the  
  
air. It rose about half way to the ceiling before it stopped and just hovered. With a snap-hiss and  
  
a bright flash of light, a fire sprang to life in the basin where the pearl had resided. The fire  
  
burned and eerie white color that didn't seem entirely natural.  
  
Carefully, Link made his way up to the pedestal and inspected the basin. The fire  
  
definitely seemed unnatural. Noticing a jar of sticks nearby, Link picked up a stick and rubbed the  
  
tip in the fire. The stick caught fire well enough. As the Wind Waker inspected his new torch, a  
  
thought occurred to him. The torch stands outside of the palace he was now in had burned white-  
  
hot, even underwater. Quickly dashing over to one of the pools of water in the room, link dunked  
  
the lit end of the stick underwater. Amazingly, the fire did not go out. The water did not seem to  
  
effect it at all.  
  
Grinning, Link darted over to the barred north door. On either side of the door were  
  
submerged torch stands. Link dunked the magic torch underwater and lit both of the stands.   
  
Instantly, the bars on the door slid up, allowing him passage. Before going through the door,  
  
Link tossed away the burning stick, as it was getting too low for comfort.  
  
The Hero of Winds went through the door to find himself in a round tunnel. The tunnel  
  
was just high enough that he didn't have to crouch to walk through. However, a yards down the  
  
tunnel was a giant pearl, which completely obstructed the passage. Link gave the pearl a good  
  
shove and it rolled down the tunnel a ways before hitting something and stopping. A side tunnel  
  
of equal size was revealed where the pearl had originally rested, leading to the left. Link followed  
  
the tunnel, which looped around, only to end where the pearl now rested. He again gave the pearl  
  
a shove, sending it rolling down another tunnel. Link continued on for several minutes of pushing  
  
the pearl around the tunnels, before he finally revealed the exit.  
  
In the next room, Link found two torch stands. One of them was burning with the magical  
  
white flame he had encountered earlier. The other was unlit. The unlit one stood on top of a  
  
grate on the floor, and below and identical grate on the ceiling. A constant stream of water  
  
connected the two grates, drenching the torch.  
  
Seeing no sticks laying around, Link notched an arrow. He took aim, and fired it first  
  
through the flame of the lit torch, and then through the water and into the unlit torch, catching it  
  
on fire. Once the torch was lit, a treasure chest fell from the ceiling. Link opened it to find a  
  
magical crystal. The crystal instantly merged with the one he already had for producing Fire  
  
Arrows. His Fire Arrows were now upgraded to use the special magic white fire.  
  
Link retraced his steps to the main lobby. He walked up to the chasm opposite the  
  
entrance to the palace. He peered through the wall of water to see the unlit torches by the large  
  
door. The Wind Waker readied an arrow, which began to glow with a strange red-white light.   
  
He took aim, and fired at one of the torches. The flaming arrow sailed through the water and  
  
struck the torch stand, instantly igniting it. Smiling at his success, Link repeated the process on  
  
the second torch stand.  
  
With an affirmative chime, the hinged bridge on the far side of the chasm swung down,  
  
landing in front of Link with a crash. The Hero of Winds quickly crossed the bridge, once again  
  
being soaked as he passed through the wall of water. On the other side, he opened the large door  
  
to find a small room. The room consisted of another of those "flush yourself systems" as Link  
  
had dubbed them. Standing on the circle, he fired an arrow through the small tunnel, activating  
  
the contraption. The Wind Waker was once again doused with water, before the floor opened up  
  
under him. Link was flushed through a series of pipes for what seemed like an eternity, before he  
  
finally found himself airborne . . . just before he crashed down into a not so shallow pool of water.   
  
Sputtering, the Wind Waker pulled himself out, onto a platform in the middle of the pool.  
  
"So, you have finally reached me."  
  
Link spun around at the feminine voice. At the far end of the pool was a raised dias with a  
  
throne-like chair. Upon the throne sat a woman. She appeared to be young, although it was  
  
impossible to guess her age. Her blue hair was bulled back into two large, bushy ponytails, held  
  
in place by seashells. Her dress was very strange. She wore a top piece made of what looked like  
  
choral, with two large halves of a clam shell serving as a bra. Loose sleeves of a turquoise  
  
material hung around her arms. Around her wrists were cuffs adorned with gold, choral, and  
  
pearls. A necklace made of shells and pearls hung around her neck. The lower half of the bikini-  
  
like ensemble was just as risque as the top. The bottom was made of choral and gold interwoven,  
  
and the covered in the front and back with a loincloth of the turquoise material. Her feet were  
  
adorned in delicate sandals, which lace all the way up past her knees. A faint and somewhat  
  
intimidating smile rested upon her blue lips, and her turquoise eyes bore into the Hero of Winds.  
  
Link swallowed and turned to face the woman, fighting down a faint blush. Even Tetra  
  
dressed more conservatively. "A-are you the Sorceress of Water?" he stammered.  
  
"I am," came the even reply.  
  
The Wind Waker swallowed again. "Uh, I am Link. I-"  
  
"I know who you are, incarnation of the Hero," the sorceress interjected, cutting him off.   
  
"I also know why you have sought me out." At this, the sorceress rose from her seat. She held a  
  
spiraling, shell-like scepter. "Those who seek the blessings of the goddesses must be wise,  
  
courageous, and powerful. Before I will give you my piece of the Talisman of Ages, you must  
  
prove yourself worthy."  
  
Link groaned inwardly. He didn't like where this was headed. "And how can I do that?"  
  
he asked.  
  
"You must face my precious pet," the sorceress replied, a smirk playing across her lips.  
  
Noticing a ripple in the water, Link turned around. A head was rising from the water  
  
behind him. The silvery-blue smooth reptilian head of a dragon. Slowly, the entire body of the  
  
dragon emerged from under the water. The pale colored beast towered over the Wind Waker.   
  
Massive wings, like those belonging to the ancient pterodactyl unfurled behind the monster, their  
  
undersides a royal purple color. A white mist issued from the dragon's nostrils.  
  
The dragon sat on a platform just like the one Link currently stood on, large webbed claws  
  
tapping against the stone surface. A large, horn/fin adorned the back of the dragon's head, while  
  
a finned tail swept back and forth behind it. Golden eyes peered down at the Hero of Winds.  
  
"This is Elemyn," the Sorceress of Water stated. "She is my Ice Dragon. A beautiful  
  
creature from a land far, far north of here. If you can defeat her, I will give you my shard of the  
  
medallion."  
  
Link swallowed again, his eye twitching. *Wonderful. A dragon. Could this day get any  
  
better?* He unsheathed the sword on Gilded Sword that the Hero of Time had given him, and  
  
strapped on his mirror shield. Glancing to either side, Link took in the surrounding area. They  
  
were in a large clearing, fenced in by very dense trees. The tops of the trees seemed to bend in,  
  
creating a sort of natural dome. On one side, where the trees weren't quick as thick, he could  
  
make out Zora's Fountain. Apparently, they were on a cliff a few meters up the side of the  
  
fountain. The clearing was covered in what appeared to be marble. Most of the area consisted of  
  
a giant pool of water. In the center was the pipe Link had ridden, still spewing water. Inside the  
  
large pool were several raised platforms, each a good jump away from the others. It was on one  
  
of these platforms that the Hero of Winds stood.  
  
The Hero of Winds and the Ice Dragon faced each other in silence for a minute, neither  
  
moving a muscle. The Sorceress of Water smiled, watching the two opponents.  
  
"Begin."  
  
And they were off. With a mighty beat of her wings, Elemyn was airborne, open jaws  
  
aimed straight at the Wind Waker. Link leapt to another platform beside him, avoiding the  
  
dragon's dive, however he was forced to one knee by the gust of wind created by the creature's  
  
wings. The dragon, having missed its target, pulled up into a loop, then shooting straight down  
  
into the water.  
  
Link rushed to the edge of the platform to see if he could spot the dragon, however the  
  
water was unnaturally blue, and more difficult to see through than that of Zora's Fountain. The  
  
sudden splash behind him, however, was quite easy to detect. The Wind Waker rolled to the side  
  
just in time to avoid Elemyn's clamping jaws. As the dragon retracted her head, Link took a  
  
swipe at her with his sword. He scored a glancing blow, which did little more than anger the  
  
beast.  
  
Elemyn pulled back snarling. Link braced himself for the next attack. However, he had  
  
not anticipated the dragon's tail, which suddenly leapt from the water and slammed into his side,  
  
throwing him from the platform toward the water. Suspended in midair, Link spotted the Ice  
  
Dragon, half in the water half out, shooting straight at him, water parting around her body.   
  
Knowing that landing in the water would be a very bad thing for his health, Link glanced around  
  
for some way to stop his descent. His eyes came to rest on the tree limbs above. Still inches  
  
above the water, Link had his hookshot in his shield hand, aiming upwards. As the tip of his hat  
  
grazed to water, Link pulled the trigger. With a clank, the arrow-like tip of the devise launched  
  
upwards. As Link's head began to enter the water, the hookshot struck a strong tree limb,  
  
sticking in place and switching from extend to contract. Link was yanked up out of the water,  
  
just as Elemyn's head passed through where he had been.   
  
The hookshot contracted, and Link dislodged it with a slight twist. He fell, landing on  
  
another platform. Elemyn pulled out of her dive, and perched upon a different platform. The two  
  
face off for a moment, before the dragon made a move. She swung her head to the side, throat  
  
convulsing as if she was going to either spit or vomit. Suddenly, she snapped her head forward,  
  
jaws open. An extremely dense mist issued from her mouth, almost like flame. As the blast of  
  
mist barreled down on him, Link stepped to the side, avoiding the worst of it. The mist, he  
  
discovered, was very, VERY cold. Link shivered as he rose from his crouching position. He  
  
tried to move, but suddenly found himself unable to move his feet. Looking down, he discovered  
  
that his feet were now frozen in a solid block of ice. *Crap!* he thought. Glancing back up he  
  
discovered that Elemyn had moved closer. *I guess that is why she's called an Ice Dragon.*  
  
The pale dragon leapt into the air, while at the same time, whipping her tail around to hit  
  
Link. The Wind Waker, unable to dodge, was launched into the air by the blow. The dragon  
  
turned in the air, aiming down at an angle so that she would land on the water, jaws first, just as  
  
the Wind Waker passed by below. Link realized this, and again pulled up his hookshot, which  
  
was still in his hand. He aimed horizontally at the base of one of the trees and fired. As the  
  
hookshot suddenly pulled him in the opposite direction, Link tapped his heels together,  
  
summoning his iron boots. With a flick of the wrist, Link unhooked the tip of the hookshot. He  
  
was already dropping into the water by the time the tip contracted.  
  
Link quickly sunk to the bottom of the pool. He quickly hid behind the base of a nearby  
  
platform. Shortly, he heard a muffled crash, which he assumed to be the dragon entering the  
  
water. Being sure not to move his weighted feet, which would surely be heard by the dragon, the  
  
Wind Waker, switched his hookshot over to his left hand, while he pulled out his bow with his  
  
right. He notched an arrow, holding the end of it and his hookshot in the same hand, but did not  
  
draw it back. Then, Link waited.  
  
Elemyn slowly made her way across the bottom of the pool, searching behind the pillars  
  
that made up the platforms for her opponent. He was down there somewhere. Finally, Elemyn  
  
passed the pillar Link was hiding behind. The Wind Waker instantly drew back his arrow, which  
  
burned with a red-white light. The sudden source of light, caught Elemyn's attention, and she  
  
whipped her head around to face the source. For a second time froze. Only a few feet apart, the  
  
dragon's head pointing straight at Link, and Link's arrow pointed straight at the dragon. Then  
  
Link loosed the arrow. Normally, bow and arrows don't do much underwater, but this was a  
  
magic arrow, and at this range Link couldn't miss, and Elemyn couldn't dodge.  
  
Even as the blast of magic fire detonated in the dragon's face, Link was firing his  
  
hookshot upwards. As he was pulled up out of the water, the Wind Waker tapped his heels,  
  
getting rid of his iron boots. Link sailed up to where his hookshot had stuck in a tree limb, then  
  
quickly dislodged it. As he began to fall, the Wind Waker quickly notched another arrow. The  
  
dragon had now broken the surface of the water, thrashing around in pain. Link aimed as he fell,  
  
and fired another magic arrow at the beast's head.  
  
The arrow never made it. A mere meter away from the dragon, the arrow suddenly  
  
bounced back, as though it had struck a solid wall. The arrow itself suddenly sparked and burned  
  
itself up. Link landed on a platform blinking in surprise.  
  
"That is enough."  
  
Link turned to the voice. He had forgotten about the Water Sorceress. Elemyn seemed to  
  
calm down and stopped thrashing, though obviously still hurting from the Fire Arrow.  
  
The sorceress stepped forward. "It seems that you were able to defeat my Elemyn, Hero  
  
of Winds. As promised, I shall give you my shard of the Talisman of Ages. Perhaps you may  
  
receive the blessing of the goddesses." The sorceress stretched out her hand, upon which rested a  
  
fragment of a pendant. The fragment lifted up, off her hand and floated over to Link. He caught  
  
the shard out of the air. It consisted of about a third of a circular pendant. It was made of silver,  
  
with a whole golden triangle on it, obviously representing part of the Triforce.  
  
Link pocketed the piece of the medallion. He suddenly felt a nudge from behind him. He  
  
turned around to find himself face to face with Elemyn.  
  
"She likes you," the sorceress explained.  
  
Link nodded. "Um, okay." He gently stroked the dragon's muzzle. "Sorry about that  
  
arrow, girl." The dragon made miffed grunt. As if a pitiful arrow could really hurt the mighty  
  
Elemyn!  
  
"This will take you back to Zora's Fountain," the Water Sorceress said, making a gesture  
  
with one hand. A swirling blue light appeared on the ground before the Wind Waker. "Good  
  
luck in your quest, Link. The fate of the world depends upon you."  
  
The Hero of Winds nodded. "Thank you," he responded before stepping into the light. 


	21. Sorceress of Fire

Hello there everyone! I'm back again with an update! About time, huh? I bet you all throught this story was dead. NO WAY! I may be lazy and not have too much time for this, but I WILL NOT give up on this story! I mean really! There's probably about five or so chapters left. I'm so close to the end that I can't give it up. So please, bear with me. Hopefully, I will get the next chapter out more quickly (It's more fun to write a chapter with more than one character in it). Anyways, I would like to thank everyone who has sent in a review, this story has well over two hundred (I'm not sure of the exact count. My ff.net account seems to have decided to delete the oldest ones and lower the tally, while the story itself still shows the right number)! That is awesome! Thank you very much! And please, be sure to keep sending in your reviews! Maybe they will convince me to update faster.   
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Twenty-one  
  
The Sorceress of Fire  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
"I see," Link replied. "He turned to the massive domes Turtle Rock. "So, this is where the sorceress lives?" The dragon nodded. "So, how do I get in?"  
  
"KNOCK AND YOU SHALL ENTER."  
  
"Knock?" Link asked raising an eyebrow. The dragon nodded. "Okay." Link walked up to the head of the turtle. He raised a fist and knocked on the turtle's nose. There was a rumbling sound, then the turtle's head began to shift, the mouth opening to reveal a passageway.  
  
Navi flew out from under Link's hat. "You know," she said. "You never have good experiences entering something's mouth. Link nodded, but entered the passage anyway. The stone turtle's mouth closed behind him.  
  
NOW:  
  
As soon as he entered Turtle Rock, Link, the Hero of Time, was bombarded with heat and the red glow of magma. The entrance/mouth of the stone structure slammed shut, causing Link to glance back at it.  
  
"What a pleasant place," Navi commented idly from the air around Link's head. She then landed on the Hero's hat. "It's too hot to be flying the whole time."  
  
Link shrugged. He didn't care. His Goron Tunic kept the heat from bothering him. Besides, he was used to Navi by now. She was pushy and tended to nag, as well as being a bit lazy and prone to complaining But, more than anything, she was sarcastic.  
  
Getting his bearings, the Hero of Time turned back around and studied the chamber he was in. It was very large. The ceiling was high and it went back quite a ways. Link was currently standing on a rock bridge that went back most of the length of the room and ended in a "T" intersection, that led off to doors on either side of the room. About thirty feet up in the air was another rock bridge. This one was connected to a rock cropping above Link's head on his side of the room. It went out straight a little further than the bridge Link was currently on and just stopped, as if it had yet to be completed.  
  
The only other thing of note in the room was a large stone pipe. It was positioned about ten feet back from the "T" intersection of the bridge Link stood on, raising out of the lava. The pipe, about ten feet in diameter, rose a good ten to fifteen feet above the bridge Link was on. At the top of the pipe, the Hero of Time could see bits of boiling magma bubbling into the air.  
  
"Navi, goo check that out," Link ordered, pointing towards the pipe.  
  
"Oh, alright, I-" Navi's reply was cut short by a sudden rumbling. A giant plume of lava suddenly shot up from the pipe, raising through the air. the plume past the end of the bridge above Link by only a few centimeters, and continued up. The pillar of lava stopped right at a whole in the ceiling of Turtle Rock that was the same size as the pipe below. After several seconds, the plume of lava abated, lowering back down into the pipe, and things settled down. Link looked up at the whole in the ceiling. Squinting, he could make out blue skies.  
  
"I think I'd rather not check that thing out," Navi announced.  
  
Link nodded. "Alright. Let's go examine those doors." He headed off down the bridge, Navi still riding on his head. Several flaming Keese seemed to emerge from cracks in the wall as Link walked, forcing him to shoot several with either arrows or his Longshot. Just before the Hero of Time reached the "T" intersection, the lava plume erupted again in much the same fashion. Upon arrival at the intersection, Link could more clearly see the two doors that the bridge led to. The left door was locked and chained, while the right one was unobstructed. "I guess we go that way," he muttered to himself. The lava plume erupted again as Link went through the door.  
  
The door slammed shut behind the Hero of Time and bars rose up, blocking his exit. There was a moment of silence as Link examined the rather plain circular room . . . and as the half-dozen Lizafos therein examined him.   
  
"Perfect," Link muttered, arming himself with the Master Sword and his Mirror Shield, Navi leaping into the air and circling the enemy. With a loud squawk, the group of lizard men leapt at him. Link swiped the first away with his blade while it was still in midair. He sidestepped the second's blade, and blocked the third's with his shield, while hacking off a forth one's head. Link parried the next two attacks, one with his sword and one with his shield, while kicking a Lizafo in the gut, knocking it away. Quickly, Link did a low powered spin attack, catching two more Lizafos and cutting them down. The last two Lizafos approached from opposite sides. The first attacking high, the second swinging low. Link batted away the first's blade with his shield, then hopped over the second's swing, bringing the Master Sword down to cleave the beast's skull. Reversing the grip on his sword, Link stabbed backwards, catching the final opponent in the gut.  
  
As the body of the final Lizafo dissolved in magic flames, a chime sounded and the bars on the exit slid open, as did the bars on a door on the wall left of the entrance. Navi landed back on Link's head, while the young teen sheathed his weapons.  
  
Link went through the unopened door to find himself in decently large square room. The left half of the room had stone floor and led to an unlocked door. The right half of the room was full of lava, which swirled around in a circular current. On the far side of the room was a small platform which led to a door.  
  
Link walked up to the edge of te lava poll. "What are you doing?" Navi asked.  
  
"Testing the waters. So to speak," the Hero of Time replied drawing his bow and stringing an arrow. The tip os the arrow began to glow with a blue light. Aiming into the lava, Link loosed his ice arrow. It hit the molten liquid in an explosion of steam. A patch of lava instantly solidified into small stone platform of sorts. The platform was quickly caught in the lava's current, and began to drift in a circle towards the platform on the far side of the lava. Link grinned . . . until the platform broke up and sunk about half of the way there.  
  
"I don't think you'll be riding that," Navi commented.  
  
"Hush, you."  
  
The pool of lava was too large to jump, even if Link made one of the temporary platforms halfway and used the hover boots, and the platforms sunk too quickly to use more than one. Weighing his options, the Hero of Time elected to try the door on the non molten side of the room.  
  
Upon entering the next room, Link found another pit of lava, which spanned the entire chamber. There was a small platform on either side with a door, one of which Link stood on. The room was roughly fifty feet across. Small platforms zigzagged the room, each separated by about ten feet. Skull-like fire bubbles hopped in and out of the lava at random, searching for prey.  
  
Link grinned and tapped the heels of his boots together twice. The platinum encasing of the hover boots formed. "Good thing you have those," Navi commented. Link nodded, and dashed towards the nearest platform. He slid to a halt there just in time to raise his shield as a fire bubble attacked him. After putting out he creature's fire, a quick swing of the Master Sword cleaved the skull in half. The Hero of Time carefully made his way across the room, avoiding the fire bubbles, and went through the far door.  
  
The next room was a rectangle the middle was a large pool of lava about twenty feet wide. On the opposite side of the room was a treasure chest. On the side of the room Link was on was strange fountain. The fountain stood much like an ornate bird bath, rising several feet off the ground on a pillar-like base. The fountain itself had a smooth, plain basin. The stone figures of two dragons rose on opposite sides, each with its mouth opened and pointing upwards. However, instead of water coming from the dragons' mouths, a thick, fine white mist rose, spilling back into the basin like a deep fog. A very cold fog. The air temperature around the fountain was over thirty degrees cooler than the rest of the temple.  
  
Link studied the fountain for several minutes, along with Navi. The Hero had thought about passing his hand through the mist, but decided against it, as he didn't want to have to amputate a frozen limb.  
  
"Shoot an arrow through it."  
  
"Huh?" Link stumbled out of his thoughts and turned to Navi, who hovered beside him.  
  
"Shoot and arrow through the mist," Navi repeated. Link raised an eyebrow at her. "It works when you shoot an arrow through a fire to melt ice, so why not the reverse?" she clarified.  
  
"Navi, I think that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say," the Hero replied.  
  
"Oh, just try it!"  
  
"Fine." Link notched an arrow and aimed it through the swirling mist at the lava pool in the middle of the room. With a twang, the arrow flew, hitting the lava in a cloud of steam that temporarily enveloped the entire room. When the steam abated, the pool of lava could again be seen. It had completely frozen into a solid block of stone. Link blinked. "Whoa." He turned to the grinning Navi. "Not one word."  
  
Now unimpeded, Link walked over to the chest on the far side of the room. In it was a magic crystal. The new crystal instantly merged with the one he already had for producing Ice Arrows, upgrading said weapon.  
  
Armed now with his new upgrade, Link backtracked to the room that was half solid and half lava, with a door across the lava. Aiming his bow, the Hero of Time fired one of his new arrows at the pool of lava. In a massive cloud of steam, the magma froze solid as before. Link went through the far door to find a small, plain room containing a treasure chest. In the chest was a small key.  
  
Link backtracked again, to the giant chamber he had first entered in Turtle Rock. Now possessing a key, he unlocked the second door and continued on. Beyond the door, the Hero of Time found himself at the base of a large, gently sloping staircase. The stairs were lit by torches and continued on, curving somewhat, as if wrapping around the entire dome of turtle rock . . . which is exactly what it did. Link traveled up the stairs for a long time. Every now and then he would run across a Stalfos knight, or a Lizafo, or some fire bubbles, or a beamos.  
  
After walking for what seemed like forever, Link arrived back in the main room, this time on the upper bridge. He walked to the edge of the bridge and peered down at the pipe full of bubbling lava. At a sudden rumbling sound, Link quickly retreated from the edge, to watch as the plume of magma shot up past him to the roof. After several seconds, the plume abated and Link again walked to the edge. This time he readied an arrow, which began to glow with a strange blue-white light. He fired the arrow down at the magma boiling in the pipe. The pale arrow flew, leaving a trail of frosty mist. In an explosion of steam, the arrow hit the magma, freezing it into stone.  
  
Navi quickly hid in a pocket on Link's tunic. "This is gonna be bad," she muttered.  
  
"Where's your sense of adventure, Navi?" Link joked.  
  
"I lost it in Jabu-Jabu's belly." Link chuckled.  
  
A rumbling sound stopped their chatter. "Here we go," Link muttered, crouching at the end of the bridge. After several seconds, the stone "cork" on the top of the pipe was forced of by the magma pushing up below it. The makeshift platform was carried up into the air by the lava plume. As it passed his bridge, Link jumped out, landing on the rising chunk of stone.  
  
The lava powered elevator carried the Hero of Time up to the hole in the ceiling of Turtle Rock, stopping even with the roof. Link hopped off, onto the top of Turtle Rock. Several seconds later, the lava plume subsided and the elevator fell back away. Breathing the cool, clean air in relief, Link found himself at the start of another set of stairs, this set leading down the back of Turtle Rock and into the mountain. Muttering, Link started down the stairs. "I wonder if the others had to walk this much."  
  
The stairs led down the turtle's shell and across its tail into a small opening in the mountain. The passageway through the mountain was almost pitch black, but was fortunately short. Link suddenly found himself again faced with the intense heat and red glow of magma.  
  
"You have finally arrived."  
  
The Hero of Time's attention was suddenly draw to a feminine voice at the far end of the chamber he had just entered. There, seated on a stone throne upon a raised dias sat the source of the voice. There sat a young woman who's age was indeterminable. She wore a dark metal breastplate with gold trim and a red strapless top that came up just high enough to make her decent without the armor. A small golden band wrapped around her upper arm on both arms. Gauntlets made of the same dark metal as the breastplate and trimmed again with gold adorned each forearm. Fingerless black gloves peeked out from under each gauntlets, covering the woman's hands. The gauntlets were each connected to the gold band on their respective arms by two strips of a silky black material, the same material the gloves were made of. She wore a large black belt with a black, gold-trimmed buckle. She had a Spartan-style skirt; a short plain red skirt made of the same silky material, covered by a skirt made of strips of material, which appeared to be an almost black type of dragon's hide, tipped with the dark metal used in the breastplate and trimmed with gold. She wore high heeled boots made of the same black dragon's hide that laced up above her knees. A golden clasp was latched arounder her neck, with a red ruby adorning it in the center. The woman's head was topped by the skull of a dragon. The skull was trimmed with gold and a blood red ruby was placed in each eye socket. The skull had horns like a ram, and could very well have once belonged to Volvagia. From under the skull spilled out two large, bushy ponytails of fiery orange hair, streaked with red. The woman's blood red lips were twisted up in a smirk and her violet eye bore into Link.  
  
The Hero of Time stared at the woman for a moment. He swallowed and began, "Uh, are you by chance . . ?"  
  
"I am the Sorceress of Fire," the woman stated, interrupting him.  
  
"Oh, okay," Link said quickly, taking a step back. This woman was intimidating. The glow of the lava danced off the dark armor she wore, creating a rather spooky image. "Er, I am Link . . ."  
  
Again she cut him off. "I already know who you are, incarnation of the Hero. And I know why you are here."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Of course," the sorceress replied, rising from her seat. She held a gnarled, wicked looking scepter made of an indistinguishable material. "You want my shard of the Talisman of Ages. And I will give it to you, but only if you can defeat the opponent I set before you."  
  
Link gave a sigh. So he would have to fight after all. Navi floated around his head. "Don't worry, Link. I'm sure you can take anyone she throws at you!"  
  
The Hero of Time nodded. "Alright. I'll fight whoever you send."  
  
"Very good," replied the sorceress, smiling in a rather predatorial way. "Oh, and Jaggen is not so much a 'who' as a 'what.'"  
  
Link blinked in surprise. "Huh?"  
  
Smirking, the Sorceress of Fire pointed upwards, and at the same time a swishing sound could be heard. Link turned his head upward to find a large form descending into the crater they were currently in. The form belonged to a large red-brown colored dragon. With surprising grace, the dragon settled down on the ground. Huge bat-like wing folded behind the beast. Now the dragon seemed to be a little more red in color than before, but that may have been the lighting. Smoke rose from the great beast's nostrils. Golden eyes bore down at the Hero of Time. Two long, straight black horns protruded from the back of the dragon's head. A whip-like tail twitched behind the beast. Sharp claws cut small grooves in the floor.  
  
"This is Jaggen," the Sorceress of Fire stated. "He will be your opponent."  
  
"Oh, a dragon. Wonderful," Link muttered. His eyes flickered around to take in his surroundings. He was in a large crater, but it would be impossible to climb out. On one side of the crater was the sorceress's throne. On the other was a small entrance platform. Both were connected by small rock bridges to the massive center platform. Everything else was a pool of lava. The walls of the crater rose, widening as they got higher, to open up to clear skies nearly a hundred feet above. The sides were covered with sharp rocks. Swords, shields, spears, armor, and the like littered the sides. It was apparent that a large army had been destroyed here once before. One of the sides of the wall, however, was relatively smooth. It looked as if a flow of lava had spilled over that side and solidified into rock., with only a few minor obtrusions pointing out.  
  
"If you can defeat Jaggen, I will give you my piece of the Talisman," the Sorceress of Fire said, lowering herself back onto her throne. "Go."  
  
With that, Jaggen was suddenly hurdling through the air at Link. The Hero doze to the side as the dragon passed by, avoiding it's jaws. Link neatly rolled and rose again, spinning and drawing his bow. He fired an Ice Arrow at the dragon's looping form, but Jaggen nimbly dodged in the air. The arrow struck the side of the crater, coating a large area in ice. Link put away his bow and drew his sword and shield. Jaggen completed his looping turn and charged at Link again. This time, the Hero of Time crouched low, holding his shield up and his sword back. Magic energy began to course through the Master Sword.  
  
"Link! Are you crazy!" Navi screamed, floating somewhere above him.  
  
"We'll see. I've never played chicken with a dragon before," he replied. The dragon continued to speed at the Hero. Link crouched lower.  
  
At the last second, Jaggen seemed to realize what Link was planning and twisted his body to the side, using one clawed forearm to push off the ground for extra turning power. His other scraped along the ground as he desperately tried to avoid coming near to the Hero. At the same time, Link let loose his spin attack, sending blades of energy slicing through the air around him. As Jaggen passed by, Link's magic attack scored a gash along the dragon's side. Jaggen bellowed in rage as he took again to the air.  
  
The fire dragon landed on the platform again and faced Link. After several seconds, the dragon again charged. Link lowered himself again, preparing to use his spin attack, but stopped when Jaggen thrust his head forward, jaws open. A stream of fire erupted from the dragon's mouth, headed towards the Hero. Link quickly jumped to the side, but was still singed by the dragon's fiery breath.  
  
Jaggen began to circle Link in the air. The Hero of Time again drew his bow and fired an Ice Arrow, but again, the dragon dodged it. In retaliation, Jaggen again spewed flames at Link, which the teen dodged. The dragon continued circling, periodically breathing fire at its opponent.  
  
"Link, you're a sitting duck here!" Navi exclaimed in his ear.  
  
"I know! I know!" The Hero of Time scanned the walls of the crater. Rocks and weapons were all he could find. There was nothing he could . . . wait! There was a shield wedged tightly into the rocks, it's wooden backside facing out. And there was a large sturdy saddle caught in the rocks! And again, there was a large wooden pole, most likely from a spear designed to kill dragons.  
  
Link gripped his Longshot in his shield hand, as well as his bow. He fired an Ice Arrow at the dragon, which was easily dodged, but only intended as a distraction. As soon as he had fired the arrow, Link fired his Longshot at the shield in the wall. He was quickly pulled to the rocky wall, where he found footing enough to again fire his Longshot at another usable target on the wall, closer to the dragon. Almost there, Link gave the Longshot a twist, dislodging it and sending himself free falling.  
  
Jaggen turned in time to find a very strange sight. A Hylian was hurdling through the air AT HIM, sword drawn and ready. Link muttered to himself when the dragon dodged to the side, and pulled out his Longshot again, looking for a target he had spotted earlier. However, he was interrupted by Jaggen's tail, which whipped through the air to hit him, sending the Hero flying in a different direction. Link cursed as he quickly tried to find a new target. No. No. No. No. There! The wooden pole! The Hero quickly fired at his new target, and was pulled to a new rock outcropping.  
  
Barely arriving at his new location, Link found Jaggen preparing a blast of fiery breath. Unable to find a new target, Link did the only thing he could to avoid the fire . . . he jumped. Again falling through the air, Link tried desperately to grab onto a rock outcropping. However, the only thing to happen was that his Mirror Shield got caught on something, and was yanked off his arm, hanging where it was as Link continued to fall.  
  
As luck would have it, Link finally spied the remains of a giant crossbow-like scorpion resting near the top of the crater. Thankful that he had the Longshot, Link aimed and fired. He was reeled up to a rock out cropping near the top of the smooth side of the crater. Jaggen circled below, keeping an eye on him. Link scanned the area, finding his shield again. In the shiny, reflective surface he could see himself.  
  
Jaggen pulled out of his circling and made his next pass at Link, placing himself between the Hero and his shield. Thinking quickly, Link drew his bow and a arrow. He took careful aim, his arrow glowing with a blue-white light. He fired. Jaggen dodged, juking upward as usual. The arrow sailed past him, striking Link's own shield. The Mirror Shield, reflected the arrow and it's magical energy back just as Link had aimed for it to, a little higher than the path it had originally traveled. Jaggen was caught completely by surprise as the icy weapon detonated against his underbelly. The dragon roared in pain and anger and plummeted down.  
  
Link was already in motion, before the arrow even hit his shield. He tapped his heels, summoning the hover boots, and hopped off the rocky outcropping onto the smooth remains of the lava flow that covered that side of the crater. With virtually no traction, Link practically flew down the sloping wall. Skiing towards a ramp-like outcropping of rock. Using the natural ski jump, Link leapt into the air.  
  
Jaggen pulled himself out of his dive, but had completely lost his bearings. The dragon flew blindly, right in front of the ramp Link jumped of from.  
  
Holding the Master Sword in a reverse two-handed grip, Link came down on the dragon's head, ready to plunge the sword straight down. However, as soon as Lin landed on the dragon's snout, he found himself unable to move. Then, he suddenly found himself back on the platform he had started from.  
  
"Very good. That is enough," came the voice of the Sorceress of Fire. Link noticed that Jaggen was also on the platform, though was no longer attacking.  
  
The sorceress stood up. "You have defeated my pet. Which means this belongs to you," she said, lifting her and. A fragment of a pendant rested on her palm. The fragment lifted up into the air and floated over to Link. "With this shard of the Talisman of Ages, perhaps you will be able to receive the blessing of the goddesses. Good Luck in your quest, Hero of Time."  
  
"Thank you," Link said examining the pendant. It was silver with one whole golden triangle on it. He pocketed the pendant and turned back to the sorceress. "How do I - ?"  
  
The sorceress silenced him by lifting a hand. A swirling blue light appeared on the ground before the teen. "This will take you to the entrance to Turtle Rock. Valoo is waiting for you there. Have courage, Link. The world is counting on you."  
  
The Hero of Time nodded and stepped into the light. 


	22. Sorceress of Earth Part I

Hi guys!! I'm back!!!!! WOW, it has ben a while. Did you miss me? I'm really sorry about how long it has been sense I've updated. School and laziness and . . . stuff . . . Sorry! I'm curious as to how many people are still reading this fic. If you read this please, be sure to send me a review! I want to make sure people are reading this. Thank you all. Now, on with the long, long awaited update!  
  
Disclaimer: I do, in fact, own The Legend of Zelda. Well, at least I own copies of the games . . .  
  
The Legend of Zelda  
  
The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Twenty-two  
  
The Sorceress of Earth Part I  
  
LAST TIME:  
  
The princesses walked up the stairway to the sone door. While Zelda examined the carvings on the door, Tetra raised a fist and knocked. "Anybody home?" she called out.  
  
Zelda rolled her eyes. "You're not going to get in like that."  
  
Just then, te door gave a shudder and slid up, raising out of the way. "You were saying?" Tetra remarked, smirking.   
  
Zelda rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said, entering through the door. Tetra followed, and the door lowered again, shutting behind them.  
  
NOW:  
  
The two princesses started and spun as the stone door slammed shut behind them. Had they spun faster, they might have spotted the blur of motion created by another person entering the temple behind them. As it was, the princesses did not turn around fast enough, not even Zelda, with her Sheikah-trained reflexes. The figure quickly darted into the dark shadows behind a large statue.  
  
In truth, the large, square entrance room was full of large statues. The statues all depicted women with six arms in various positions. They were all made of the same tan stone as the rest of the room. A light layer of fine sand seemed to dust the room, collecting between stones in the floor and in corners. Several of the large statues held basins of fire which illuminated the room.  
  
Each wall of the large entry chamber had a door in the center. The largest of these was the one that had just slammed shut behind Tetra and Zelda. The second largest one was directly opposite. It had a large sun crest covering it. The other two doors were normal sized. The one on the left had a chain and lock over it.  
  
Tetra and Zelda made their way up to the large door in the back of the room. It was the same tan stone as the rest of the room. A giant golden sun with a smiling face on it took up the center of the door. The sun/face was about four feet in radius and took up quite a bit of the door. Golden "flares" surrounded the central circle, indicating that it was, in fact, a sun. the sun's eyes were currently closed.  
  
The two girls inspected the door. "Ever seen something like this before?" Tetra asked.  
  
"Seen? No," Zelda replied. "But Link told me about some things like this. They were used as switches in some of the dungeons he went through. He had to either reflect sunlight at them, or shoot them with a Light Arrow. But this is bigger than the ones he talked about."  
  
Tetra shrugged, unfastening her bow and pulling out an arrow. "Well, we might as well try a Light Arrow on it." She notched the arrow and pulled it back, summoning a golden light. The arrow flew and stuck the golden sun/face dead center in an explosion of light. The eyes of the sun opened just a crack, then quickly closed again.  
  
The girls exchanged looks. "Not enough power?" Zelda asked, readying her bow. "Let's try shooting it at the same time." Tetra nodded and both girls aimed Light Arrows at the sun and fired. The eyes opened a little more than before, but nowhere near completely.  
  
"Blast," Tetra said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't think Light Arrows are going to work. Maybe we have to find some sort of giant floodlight or something."  
  
Zelda shrugged. "Maybe. We should try the open door."  
  
Tetra scratched her head. "Why is one locked and the other not?"  
  
"It's a test," Zelda replied. "We have to go that way until we find a key. Then we can go through the locked door and, hopefully, find some way to open this door."  
  
Tetra tilted her head and gave an indignant humph. She then proceeded wordlessly to the smaller door that was locked and chained. She sat on her knees in front of the door, looking at the lock. The piratess then pulled a folded up white cloth from inside her vest. Unwrapping the cloth she revealed a set of small metal objects, which she carefully searched through before selecting one of.  
  
Zelda walked up behind her. "What are you doing?" the princess asked.  
  
Tetra turned back to look at her. "I'm saving us some time." She turned back tot he door and inserted one end of the metal tool into the lock. She began to slowly fidget with the instrument. "I'm gonna pick this lock."  
  
"What?!" Zelda cried. "You can't do that! That's just wrong! It-it's cheating!"  
  
Tetra raised an eyebrow. "Pirate."  
  
Zelda blinked in surprise. "Oh . . . . right."  
  
"Now shush! I need quiet." After several second of tinkering, the lock clicked and fell off, the chains retracting. Tetra stood up, replacing her tools. "Ta-dah."  
  
Zelda shrugged. "Well, I guess not needing keys will save time."She opened the door and went through. Tetra nodded and followed.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Neither the piratess nor the princess noticed the pair of eyes that followed their every movement. The figure stuck to the dark shadows. Years of stealth training being used to keep tabs on the two girls. Keen eyes picked their way through the darkness as swift feet moved soundlessly across the floor.  
  
The figure watched as one of the girls picked the lock on one of the doors. They seemed to know what they were doing. It would be best to follow them and let them do all the work. When the chance came, the figure could take the girls by surprise.  
  
As the girls passed through the door, the figure leapt out from hiding, quickly placing a small stone under the door, preventing it from fully closing. The figure dropped gracefully to the ground to observe what transpired in the next room.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
In the next room Zelda and Tetra examined their new surroundings. This room was, surprisingly, tan colored and made of stone. It was about as large as the last one, but full of smaller statues, the prominent part of each was a large mirror. Blocks, walls, and other obstructions littered the room, blocking the paths between various statues. On one side af the room was an unlocked door. On the other side was a wall of clear crystal. Past the wall was one more statue, holding it's mirror at a forty-five degree angle, as to deflect light straight up, where there was a smaller version of the sun switch in the first room.  
  
"What do we do here?" Tetra asked out loud, gazing around the large chamber.  
  
"I'd say we have to move the blocks and statues around so that we can shine a ray of light through the crystal wall to the switch," Zelda replied.  
  
"Man, that's a lot of work," Tetra complained. "And where is the light source? I don't see any bright lights anywhere."  
  
Zelda nodded towards the door. "We probably have to go through there to find some way of opening up a light source."  
  
"That sucks."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, if that door isn't the exit, what is?"  
  
Zelda glanced around the room, her eyes coming to rest on a very large statue build against one of the walls. The six arms of the statue held up a circular disk identical to the base the statue was on. "Over there," she said, pointing to the statue. "I think that statue lowers into the ground to reveal the exit."  
  
Tetra nodded. "Alright, so we have to do the whole thing with the mirrors."  
  
"Or we could cheat, Zelda replied, smirking. She began to walk towards the crystal wall.  
  
"How? What are you doing?" Tetra asked following her.  
  
"Skipping this puzzle. Stay back." Standing in front of the clear wall, Zelda raised her arms above her head and began to chant. An invisible wind swept across the princess and the room began to shake. A ball of golden light formed above Zelda's fingertips. With a loud snap, cracks began to form on the crystal wall. The cracks grew and new ones began to form. The Princess's ball of light grew as well throbbing and shimmering almost violently. With a final burst of light, the ball vanished, and the wall came crashing down.  
  
Tetra nodded, applauding. "Yeah, that's the spirit. Now, you gotta teach me how to do that."  
  
Zelda smiled. "Only if you teach me how to pick locks," she said, while shooting a light arrow at the sun switch.  
  
Tetra smirked. "Yes, lock-picking. A skill no princess should be without."  
  
Zelda nodded. "You know, we're the oddest looking princesses ever." True enough, Tetra's outfit would fit in perfectly among sailors. Zelda's tight blue Sheikah uniform would stand out anywhere . . . except for in the shadows it was meant to be worn in.  
  
"Oh well," Tetra replied. She gestured to the statue that had just lowered to reveal a doorway. "Shall we?" Zelda nodded and followed the Piratess out the door.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The silent figure quickly pushed the ajar door open and dashed into the room as the girls left. Before the door could close behind the princesses, the figure threw a small rock which lodged under it. The figure dropped fluidly to the floor by the door, to continue watching the girls.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The next room was much smaller. It was simple and circular in design. At the far end was a barred door. In-between the girls and the door was a group of Lizalfos and Bokoblins.  
  
"Should have know we wouldn't get through here without a fight," Tetra muttered, un sheathing her sabre and pulling out her dagger.  
  
"Must be our lucky day," Zelda muttered as she drew her katana and grabbed a handful of throwing knives.  
  
After a second of silence, the group of monsters charged towards the girls. The first two never even got close - they were dropped by the handful of knives thrown by Zelda. The first monster to reach the girls was a Lizalfo who brought his sword down, only to have it caught and trapped by Tetra's dagger.  
  
"Too bad," the pirate girl taunted with a smirk as the Lizalfo tried to disengage it's sword. Tetra made a diagonal slice upward across the stupid monster with her sabre, ending it's life.  
  
Two Bokoblins charged at Zelda. The princess of old nimbly sidestepped, spinning around to bring her katana into one of the little monster's guts, dropping it's carcass to the floor where it disintegrated. The second Bokoblin made a second leap at the princess, only to be parried by her curved sword. The dumb creature didn't have time for anything else though, as Zelda stuck her hand out towards its face and a golden blast of magic tore through it.  
  
Tetra parried the attacks of a Bokoblin and a Lizalfo with her sabre and dagger, waiting for an opening. As the Bokoblin stumbled back from a blocked blow, she got her chance. Dropping to the ground, underneath a horizontal swipe from the Lizalfo, she stuck out her foot and spun, sweeping the Bokoblin's feet out from under it. As the creature fell, the piratess reversed her grip on the dagger and hammered it down into it's chest, dropping it dead. She quickly raised her sabre to block another blow from the Lizalfo. Tetra readjusted her grip on the dagger and used it to block the next blow, still crouching. The creature was careful not the let the piratess trap it's blade, however there was no way it could block the sabre that cut it's legs out from under it. Before the beast could even hit the ground, the sabre made it's return pass, severing the head.  
  
The last Bokoblin sloppily lunged for Zelda. The princess leapt into the air and neatly flipped over the beast. She reverse her grip on the katana and stabbed it backwards, meeting the beast's spine.  
  
As the last monster fell to the ground and faded away a chime sounded, and the bars on the exit lifted. "That was easy," Tetra commanted.  
  
Zelda nodded. "They were pretty weak. Let's go." The girls head out the door.  
  
The girls found themselves in a hallway, but they couldn't tell how long it was. A little ways down, the hall made a sharp right turn. After that it made a sharp left. Then another right. Then a left, and so on. The hall itself was made of the same tan blocks as everything else. Two torches lit each section of the hall, keeping it pretty dark. The entire hallway was lined with statues. They all had large cubic bases topped by a six armed woman standing on one leg. There were two along each section of wall, one on either side of the torch. There was also one on either side of each corner. A red carpet covered the center of the hall.  
  
As the girls walked down the long corridor, Tetra turned to Zelda. "Do you know anything about these statues? They're everywhere."  
  
Zelda thought for a second. "In some of the ancient legends of Hyrule there was said to be an occultist religion that worshiped a great and terrible goddess. It was really popular among the Gerudo and some Hylians. I think the goddess had six arms, each one representing a different attribute. I don't really remember anything else."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The mysterious figure darted from behind statue to statue. It kept about one stretch of the hallway behind the girls to avoid detection. It moved silently. It was a shadow, a whisper, a wraith. It moved skillfully and gracefully, gliding over the floor. Intense training and patience showed through in the figure's movements. It was invisible.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Tetra inched up closer to Zelda and whispered, "I think we're being followed."  
  
"You just noticed?" Zelda whispered back. "That amateur's been tailing us the whole time."  
  
"What should we do about it?" Tetra whispered again.  
  
"Listen," Zelda replied, "around the next corner . . . ."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The figure darted from statue to statue following the girls. They rounded another corner and the figure darted down the empty stretch of hallway. He paused at the statue just before the corner, then dashed around, hiding behind the statue at the other side of the corner. He peered around it to check on the girls.  
  
Strangely, there was now only the pirate girl walking down the hall.  
  
Strangely, there was now the tip of a katana pointed at the figure's throat.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Alright," Zelda commanded. "Stand up slowly and put your hands in the air." Within seconds Tetra was by Zelda's side, also pointing her sabre at the figure.  
  
The "mysterious figure" turned out to be a boy about a year or two younger than Tetra. He was clad in a tight purple and black spandex outfit, not unlike Zelda's. Two eastern style short swords were strapped to his back. Strips of white cloth were wrapped around his arms, legs, and chest. A large cloth hung over his chest, displaying the Eye of Truth, just like on Zelda's outfit. More strips of cloth formed a tight turban on his head and a scarf around his neck. Pale platinum-blonde hair stuck out from under the turban, almost as long as LinkT's hair. Clumps of hair covered his face, hanging between and to either side of his two red eyes. The boy's face was etched in surprise as he complied to Zelda's commands.  
  
"Alright kid," Tetra demanded, "who are you and why are you following us?"  
  
The boy swallowed. "I am Sheik; sole survivor of the Sheikah."  
  
Tetra raised an eyebrow. Zelda just gaped at him.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
The boy nearly fell backwards in surprise at Zelda's outburst. Tetra glanced at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"There is no such person as Sheik!" Zelda nearly screamed.  
  
"That's not true!" the boy defended himself. "My name IS Sheik. So was my father's and my grandfather's. It's a family tradition started by my ancestor, the Great Impa. All males in my family are named Sheik and all females are named Impa."  
  
"You're related to Impa?!" Zelda gasped.  
  
The boy blinked in surprise. "Well . . . Yeah. My family is the last line of Sheikah in existence. We're descended from Great Impa who named her son Sheik. It has been tradition ever sense."  
  
"Impa had a son?! And she named him Sheik?!" Zelda cried, though not a loudly as before.  
  
The boy nodded, then his face hardened. "Which reminds me, you are dressed like a Sheikah, but you are clearly not one. How do you dare to do such a thing?!"  
  
Zelda frowned. "I can dress like this because I have passed the Sheikah Tet-tsuka." The boy's eyes widened. Zelda pointed a finger at his chest. "And, judging by the lack of teardrop on your Eye of Truth, I would wager that you have not."  
  
"How do you know about the Sheikah trditions?!"  
  
Zelda raised her katana back to the boys throat. "We're the ones asking questions here. Why are you following us?"  
  
"I wanted to find the Sorceress of Earth," the boy, Sheik, replied trying to act brave.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So I could find out what happened and why the land has returned," the boy replied. "The Great Sorceresses are highly esteemed in Shiekah legend."  
  
Zelda thought for a second. She scrunched her eyes to examine the boy. "Are you sure you're REALLY related to Impa?"  
  
The boy nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"And she had a son?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And she really named him Sheik?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
Zelda scowled and lowered her blade, taking a few steps back. "Why that . . . . she told me Sheik was a horrible name for a Sheikah!"  
  
Both Sheik and Tetra blinked in surprise. "Huh?"  
  
Zelda scowled again. "Impa told me that Sheik was a horrible name for a Sheikah when I had said that was what I wanted to use while in hiding."  
  
Tetra and Sheik exchanged glances. "What are you talking about?" Tetra asked lowering her blade as well. "And who is this Impa person?"  
  
"Impa was my bodyguard back in the old days," Zelda replied. "She was the only Sheikah left alive at the time."  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Sheik demanded. "The Great Impa died over two and a half centuries ago!"  
  
Zelda and Tetra exchanged glances. "Well, you see," Zelda began, "it's complicated. Yo see, I was born before the Great Flood, and before the rise of Ganondorf Dragmire - the first one. When Ganon rose for the second time the Hero of Time did not return to fight him, so we were unable to stop him. Before we turned our fate over to the goddesses, a weapon was created to fight Ganon, but it would take over a hundred years to prepare. I was sealed away with the weapon in a great crystal. I was only just released when the waters subsided."  
  
Sheik cocked an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"  
  
Zelda smiled and set her katana down on the ground. She held her hand up in front of her and made an odd gesture. The mark of the Triforce shone for a second before a flash of white light filled the room, temporarily blinding Sheik and Tetra. After the light subsided it took a second for their eyes to adjust and for Zelda to come into focus.  
  
"I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule." And there she stood, in all her splendor. Her long blonde hair was now pulled back behind her, free of her ponytail. She wore an elegant pink and white dress adorned with gold. A jeweled tiara graced her forehead. Earrings shaped like the Triforce dangled from her pointed ears. The mark of the Triforce glowed faintly on her left hand, despite the fact that she no longer possessed the relic.  
  
Sheik stared wide-eyed for several seconds before dropping to the ground and groveling at her feet. Beads of sweat rolled down both Zelda and Tetra's heads. Tetra raised an eyebrow. "You get this a lot?"  
  
Zelda frowned. "Why don't you go bow to her instead?" she said to Sheik, motioning to Tetra. "She's the Princess Zelda from this time."  
  
Sheik sat up, confusedly glancing between the two girls. Tetra scowled. "Grovel and I'll kill yah."  
  
Zelda chuckled and reverted back to her Sheikah outfit. "It's alright, just get up," she told Sheik, who hesitantly complied. "Look, we're trying to get to the Sorceress of Earth as well. We need to collect her piece to a talisman. I guess you might as well come with us."  
  
Sheik bowed low. "I would be greatly honored Your Highness. It is the duty of the Sheikah to protect the royalty of Hyrule."  
  
Zelda gave a sigh and Tetra gave a curious look. "Come on," Zelda said, again heading down the hall. "I suppose I should explain a few things about the Sheikah, Impa, and the name Sheik as we go.  
  
Sheik and Tetra nodded and followed. "I hope you know how to use those things," Tetra commented to the young Sheikah.  
  
He nodded. "I am even better at combat than I am stealth."  
  
Tetra sighed. "Why do I not find that reassuring?" 


	23. Sorceress of Earth Part II

Hey there everyone! I'm back again with another update. Aren't you happy? Sorry about how long it took. Like seven months . . . Hopefully I will get on a roll and get the next several capters out more quickly. There are not very many chapters left in this story, and I WILL finish it. The end is near! Well, fairly near. Sort of.  
  
Anyway, as you now know, I have brought Sheik into the picture! (All the Sheik lovers rejoice) Now notice, this is NOT the same Sheik from OoT. He's sort of an original character. Sort of. In Zelda I & II, Princess Zelda has a nursemaid named Impa. I wanted to use this Sheik as a blood link between the Impa in OoT and the Impa in Zelda I & II. Also, the Sages are - for the most part - dead. When Ganon rose again they were kicked out of the Sacred Realm and the Chamber of Sages. Saria is still around because Kokiri don't grow old and die like the other races. So all the others are dead . . . supposedly. Alright, so on with the story!  
  
I hope there are still some people around who remember this story. If you actually have read up to this point previously, you might want to reread at least part of it, as it has been a while. If your new, yeah! I have new readers! Please enjoy. If you actually read this, please be sure to drop me a review. I would like to know who (if anyone) is still reading this.  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda . . . yet.  
  
The Legend of Zelda The Golden Land  
  
Chapter Twenty-three The Sorceress of Earth Part II  
  
"So you dressed up like a Sheikah boy for seven years to hide from Ganon?" Tetra asked, making sure she had heard correctly.  
  
"Not quite," Zelda replied. She was again adorned in her Shiekah-style outfit. "I only had to pretend to be Sheik for the last year or so. Most of the seven years was spent training with Impa so I could pass for a Sheikah."  
  
"You really got to train under the Great Impa?" Sheik asked in awe. The boy was wide eyed, having never dreamed of meeting someone who actually knew Impa, let alone the long thought dead princess of Hyrule.  
  
Zelda nodded an affirmative as the trio continued down the halls of the Sorceress of Earth's palace. Their footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls of sandy stone. Their way was lit by basins of fire held up by statues os an ancient six-armed goddess. The fires danced as they reflected off the trio's weapons. Zelda held her katana in one hand hanging off to the side. Tetra held her pronged dagger dangling be her side, while her sabre rested against her shoulder. Sheik held his twin eastern short swords each in a reverse-hand grip so that they rested against the backs of his forearms. They had encounter several groups of monsters after the young Sheikah had joined them.  
  
Fortunately, Sheik had proven himself competent in combat. Apparently, he considered learning how to fight more fun than learning how to sneak around. As such, he was considerably better at the former, while he needed to work on the latter. When not engaged in combat, Zelda had taken to filling the other two in on her past and catching Sheik up on current events.  
  
Tetra frowned as the reached another locked door. "You sure we're going the right way?" she asked as she picked the lock. The door swung open.  
  
"Yeah. Pretty sure," Zelda replied as the five large heavily armored creatures carrying massive swords and axes in the next room turned to face the intruders.  
  
"I hate it when you're right," Tetra groaned, readying her sword.  
  
"Uh, what exactly are those?" Sheik asked as he brought up his short swords.  
  
"The two with axes are called Iron Knuckles," Zelda replied. "They are big and strong, but slow. We won't be able to hurt them unless be get rid of some of that armor."  
  
Tetra nodded. "The ones with swords are called Darknuts. More of the same," she stated. "Watch out for the red one with the cape, though."  
  
With a cry from the Mighty Darknut, the group of armored monsters charged. The trio of adventurers readied their weapons.  
  
"Here we go," Tetra muttered.  
  
"Hey," Sheik replied, crouching. "This is the fun part."  
  
The pirate girl rolled her eyes. "Right. How could I forget?"  
  
"Alright people! Scatter!" Zelda called as the monsters approached. Tetra and Sheik both darted off in opposite directions. "The red one is mine!" the princess yelled, charging straight forward. She leapt into the air, aiming for the closest Darknut. The monster raised it's shield above it's head to block the downward blow, but, instead of striking, Zelda landed on the horizontal shield and spring-boarded off, flying over all the enemies and landing behind them. The Mighty Darknut, how was at the rear of the enemy charge, quickly turned to face her.  
  
Sheik went after the Darknut Zelda hadn't used as a trampoline. He darted just into the creatures range, and handsprung back to avoid the sword stroke. As soon as the Sheikah's feet touched the ground, he leapt into the air, jumping over the beast and flipping as he did so. Sheik passed over his enemies head in the middle of his flip, while he was upside down. He swung his twin short swords in a downward ark, snapping off the Darknut's helmet. As Sheik landed, the dog-headed Darknut brought its sword over its shoulder and made a diagonal downward swing at the boy. Sheik dove to the side to avoided the blade. He curled up into a ball and rolled, just avoiding an Iron Knuckle's massive axe, which embedded itself in the floor behind him.  
  
The Sheikah quickly tossed a Dekunut to the ground, causing a bright flash of light, which stunned his enemies. Seizing the opportunity, Sheik made several quick strikes against the Iron Knuckle, ending with a hard kick to the breastplate which knocked the armored giant back a bit and allowed the boy to flip backwards, putting some space between him and it. Sheik reversed his grip on the short sword in his left hand, holding it down in front of him while he held the other above his head, blade pointing the opposite way. With a cry, Sheik leapt forward, spinning and twisting as if to imitate a windmill with his blades. He hit the Iron Knuckle hard, cracking its armor and causing it to fall off.  
  
Tetra squared off against an Iron Knuckle of her own. The monster swung its axe at her horizontally, forcing her to hop back to avoid it. After the blow passed, Tetra charged in, thrusting with her sabre. She scored a clear hit, but unfortunately, did little the pierce the beast's armor. The piratess was forced to leap to the side as the Darknut Zelda had jumped off of came after her, swinging its massive sword at her head. Tetra dodged, rolled, and hopped to avoid repeated blows from the sword and axe.  
  
Realizing her weapons were useless against the heavy armor of her opponents, the pirate girl adopted a new strategy. First, she baited the Iron Knuckle. It took two horizontal swings at her, which she dodged in and out of. As she did this, the Darknut rushed towards her. As it neared, Tetra disengaged the Iron Knuckle and charged the Darknut, jumping in too close for the beast to use its large sword. Not being a complete idiot, the Darknut swung it's shield in an attempt to clobber the pirate. Tetra ducked and rolled to the left, avoiding the shield and a vertical blow from the Iron Knucke, now behind her, who got its axe stuck in the ground. Tetra quickly jumed back and to the right, nearly into the Iron Knuckle who was trying to dislodge its axe.  
  
Now, the Darknut was not a complete idiot, however, it was not a genius either. It took the bait and made a hard horizontal slash at Tetra. The piratess quickly dove forward, rolling on the ground while the large sword sailed by overhead . . . right into the Iron Knuckle. While not killed, the Iron Knuckle was thrown to the ground, its armor crushed and ruined, its axe thrown from its hand. Tetra reversed her grip on her dagger as she rolled behind the Darknut. As she rose, the pirate princess slashed her dagger across the beast's back, cutting the straps that held its breastplate on. As the armor fell off, Tetra quickly stabbed the beast, withdrew her sabre, and made two quick slashes against it in an X pattern. The Darknut cried out as it fell and died.  
  
As the Iron Knuckle struggled to right itself, Tetra sheathed her sabre and put away her dagger. Using both hands, she hefted the fallen Darknut's sword into the air. Unable to hold it up as such, she rested the flat of the blade on her shoulder, allowing her whole body to support its weight. She trudged over to the Iron Knuckle as it finally righted itself and began searching for its fallen axe. "I don't think so," Tetra stated, hoisting the great sword and twisting her body slightly. The Iron Knuckle turned to her and froze. Giving a war cry, Tetra spun around, swinging the sword down and killing the Iron Knuckle.  
  
Zelda faced the Mighty Darknut, circling just outside of its range. Red eyes glared down at the princess from the helm of the armor clad behemoth. Suddenly, with a twirl of its cape and a grunt, the Darknut leapt forward, hoping to split its adversary in half. Zelda hopped to the side, nimbly avoiding the blow. She countered, dashing in and slicing her katana horizontally across the creature's chest as she passed. She found her mark, however only cored a small scratch on her opponent's armor. Zelda spun to face the Darknut again, just in time to duck an attack meant to decapitate her. Falling backwards, the princess turned her duck into a series of handsprings designed to put some space between her and her opponent. Coming out of her flip, Zelda gripped her katana in one hand and began to gather magical energy in the other. After a second, she released the energy in the form of a small red ball that flew towards her opponent. The Mighty Darknut raised its shield just in time, the ball of energy struck it and blossomed into a ball of fire.  
  
After a moment of silence, Zelda charged her opponent. She ducked a sword swing on the way in, and spun around a swipe from the shield before leaping and aiming a blow at the Darknut's head. Unfortunately, the beast spun and ducked, and Zelda only met with red cape. She landed slightly off balance, ducked, and rolled to avoid the overhead stroke the monster countered with. The princess glare at her opponent over her shoulder for a moment before spinning and charging again. The Darknut cut diagonally at her, but it didn't matter. Zelda dove forward, dodging the blade, and rolled under the Darknut's legs. She quickly spun and pointed her hand at the creature's back. "Block this," she mocked as Din's Fire erupted from her hand.  
  
The Mighty Darknut howled in pain as his cape and back caught fire. Its armor fell off as the straps were burned away, it was forced to pull off its helmet and discard it. Finally, the beast managed to detach itself from its flaming cloak and turned to glare at Zelda, bearing its canine teeth. The princess crouched low, gripping her sword to the side with both hands. The Darknut narrowed its eyes and raised its massive sword holding it parallel to the ground. Both opponents eyed each other for several moments, before charging at the same time. As they neared, the Darknut swung horizontally, keeping the blade about waist height, so Zelda would have trouble ducking. At the last second, Zelda leapt into the air, gripping the sword in one hand and pushing off of the flat side of her enemies blade with the other. She cleared the blade by mere centimeters and then brought her own blade forward, slicing the Mighty Darknut in half.  
  
Sheik dodged repeated blows from th Darknut and Iron Knuckle both bent on tearing him to pieces. Fortunately for the Sheikah, he was much quicker than his opponents. He danced in and out of their blows, never getting hit. Doing a tight handspring, he simultaneously avoided a horizontal slash from the Darknut and a downward swing from the Iron Knuckle. He quickly ducked behind the Darknut ans sliced across its back, knocking of the dog-like creature's breastplate. He spun to avoid the retaliatory strike and flipped over the beast's head. He spun to the side to avoid the Iron Knuckle's axe. Coming up beside the axe-toting creature, Sheik stabbed both of his blade into its chest. After a second, he violently yanked them back out. The Iron Knuckle wavered and fell dead.  
  
The Darknut swung its massive sword at Sheik's back, but the boy simply flipped over it. He smirked at the dumb, spinning monster . . . until its shield came around and smacked him in the back, throwing him to the ground. The young Sheikah swore to himself as he climbed back on his feet. He charged the Darknut, again leaping and flipping over it. This time, however, Sheik swung and twirled his blade so that he took the monster's head off. Landing, he slowly stood gazing the scene with a stoic face.  
  
"You done yet?"  
  
Sheik was pulled from his revere by Tetra's question. "Huh?" He turned to find the girls waiting over by the exit at the other end of the room.  
  
"Good," Tetra stated. "We've been waiting."  
  
Hanging his head, Sheik went over to join them.  
  
Zelda opened the door to the next room and took a step in . . . only to immediately stumble back as she was bombarded by intense light.  
  
"Ah, what the-?" the princess muttered, raising her arm to shield her eyes. Tetra and Sheik did likewise.  
  
"That is really bright," the pirate girl stated as the group slowly entered the next room.  
  
The room was none too large. It was, of course, made of tan stone. However the intense lighting bleached out the stones color, making it look nearly white. On the far end of the room was a giant sun-switch, just like the one back at the entrance to the temple. In the center of the room was a small ebony obelisk, standing about 4 feet tall. At the top point of the obelisk rested a . . . well, a bright light. The point of light hung inches above the obelisk, supported by seemingly nothing and emanating from nothing. It was just there, glowing brightly and lighting the room.  
  
"So what do we do here?" Sheik asked.  
  
"No clue," Zelda replied. "That big thing is a sun-switch. Supposedly shining enough light on it should activate it."  
  
"This isn't enough light?" Sheik asked, amazed.  
  
"I guess not," Zelda replied.  
  
"I know!" Tetra exclaimed. "Maybe these ones only respond to Light Arrows."  
  
"I guess that is possible," Zelda said. "But how does that help us?"  
  
"How about we shoot a Light Arrow at the switch through the big bal of light?" Tetra asked.  
  
Sheik grunted, still shielding his eyes. "Well whatever you're going to do, do it quickly. Preferably before I go blind."  
  
Tetra shrugged and pulled out her bow, squinting to see. She notched an arrow and infused it with Light magic. She then shot it through the ball of light and his the sun-switch. With a chime, the eyes on the switch opened and the smile broadened. The light in the room faded to a more normal level, and a chest materialized.  
  
"Much better," Tetra commented as she proceeded to open the chest. Inside she found a magic crystal. The crystal seemed to split in two, half of it merging with the crystal the Tetra used to make Light Arrows, while the other half floated over to Zelda and merged with her Light Arrow crystal.  
  
"I'm guessing we can use more powerful Light Arrows now," Zelda commented.  
  
"Thank you Captain Obvious," Tetra replied sarcastically. "Come on, we should go back to the entrance and activate that big sun-switch." Zelda and Sheik agreed and the trio headed back to the entrance. It was a long walk, but fortunately they had already eliminated all the monsters. It was actually good that the walk was so long – that was how long it took for the spots to clear from their vision.  
  
Once they reached the entrance, Zelda shot the giant sun-switch with a powered up Light Arrow. The switch activated and the door lifted out of the way. The trio proceeded on through a dark tunnel until they arrived at a massive, well-lit cavern in the earth.  
  
"What an entertaining group."  
  
The two princesses and the Sheikah all turned to face the rear of the cavern, where the feminine voice had come from. There, on a raised dias sat the owner of the voice, perched on a stone throne. It was a woman who appeared young, but her true age was anyone's guess. The woman wore a long dress made of a flowing green material. The dress was strapless, coming up only high enough to make her decent, and stopping under her armpits. It was trimmed in a gold color. Around her neck was a large Egyptian-style necklace, which at the top wrapped snugly around her neck and extended down far enough that the tip of it overlapped the top of the dress. The necklace was made of gold and adorned with precious stones. The dress extended down to her ankles. However, on the left side of the dress was a slit that extended up the side of her leg almost to her waist. Several thin, golden belts wrapped around the woman's waist. She wore sandals trimmed with gold, with an emerald embedded just above the toes. She has on long, green gloves that extended from near her shoulders, where they were clasped in golden cuffs. She also wore a large golden tiara adorned with precious stones. The woman held a golden scepter, again adorned with precious stones, the tip of which housed a large emerald.  
  
The princesses stared at her for a moment. Sheik openly gawked. Well, until Tetra elbowed him in the gut, that is. Then he just blushed and looked away from the underdressed woman.  
  
Finally Zelda stepped forward. "We are looking for the Sorceress of Earth," she stated.  
  
The woman smirked. "Oh, how convenient, little princess. I am she."  
  
"Er, alright," Zelda stuttered. "We are here to-"  
  
"I know why you have come," said the Sorceress, rising from her throne. "You wish to have my piece of the Talisman of Ages. However, before I can give that to you, you must prove your worth."  
  
"And how do we do that?" Tetra asked, stepping forward as well.  
  
"You must defeat my pet, Amethyst," the Sorceress replied, gesturing to the side.  
  
"Pet?" Tetra mumbled to herself as she turned to see what the Sorceress was pointing to. ". . . . oh bugger."  
  
Out from the shadows came the figure of a very large lizard. It could almost have been an iguana . . . if it hadn't been over 20 feet tall while still on all fours. That and the head was a little different. It actually looked more like a Kimono Dragon. Which was a pretty good comparison.  
  
"This is Amethyst," the sorceress stated. "She is an Earth Dragon."  
  
Amethyst gave a roar at the mention of her name. The dragon was a dark green color all over, though it's belly was a bit lighter colored. She had no wings, but did have a rather nasty looking set of spines protruding from her back. Her tail had several spikes on it, not unlike the Stegosaurus.  
  
"If you can defeat her I will give you the talisman," the Sorceress of Earth stated.  
  
"Oh. Wonderful," Tetra grumbled.  
  
Zelda quickly pulled Tetra and Sheik close to her. "I need you two to distract it," she whispered.  
  
"What?!" Tetra nearly cried.  
  
"I'm going to cast a spell, but it will take some time. I need the two of you to keep the dragon busy and away from me," Zelda explained.  
  
"Easy for you to say," the piratess muttered. "Alright." Sheik also nodded in agreement. It didn't really look like his swords would do much good against the dragon, so magic was their best option.  
  
Zelda nodded. "Good. But, when I yell 'now,' you need to get as far away from the dragon as you can."  
  
"You may begin," the Sorceress of Earth stated.  
  
With a roar, Amethyst began to charge towards the trio. Fortunately, the green Earth Dragon was fairly slow . . . at least compared to Ice of Fire dragons. Sheik and Tetra charged at the dragon, while Zelda backed off some and folded her hand in front of herself, closing her eyes.  
  
As the attackers neared the dragon, Amethyst swung her head out, snapping her jaws at Sheik. The young Sheikah nimbly leapt to the right side, avoiding the dragon's teeth. Amethyst then swung her claw at Tetra, who leapt to the left side to avoid it.  
  
The pirate-princess rolled to recover from her dive – only to find the dragon's spiked tail headed towards her. Tetra leapt further to the side to avoid the large spikes. She missed the most dangerous part, but the tip of the tail still caught her, throwing her to the ground.  
  
While the dragon swung it's tail at Tetra, Sheik quickly attacked it's face, his twin short-swords flashing wildly. He tried to reach the dragon's vulnerable eyes. However, Amethyst took a bite at him, forcing the Shiekah to abort his first attempt. He quickly tried again, this time to be knocked away by the dragon's snout. Before the boy could try again, the Earth Dragon's throat swelled and it swung it's open jaw at him, a putrid green-ish liquid spewing out. Sheik quickly leapt out of the way, tucking and rolling on the ground. When he rose again, he was greeted by a sulfuric scent and a hissing sound. The liquid was burning and sizzling as it are it's way through the rock where it had landed. "By the Triforce," Sheik muttered. He then yelled so the others could hear, "Watch out! It spits acid!"  
  
"You have got to be kidding me," Tetra muttered as she got to her feet. Gripping her sabre tightly, she charged at the dragon, who was busy trying to spit more acid at Sheik. She ran up under the dragon's legs and took a long slash at its belly. She managed to draw a thin line of blood, which really did more to anger the dragon than to hurt it. Amethyst swung one of it's four legs and managed to knock the piratess out from under it.  
  
Zelda concentrated hard, blocking out the sounds of the battle around her. An unseen wind began to ruffle the princess' hair and clothes. The symbol of the Triforce began to glow on her hand again. She whispered words in an ancient Hylian tongue. Magical energies began to build up in and around the princess.  
  
Sheik dodged the dragon's spiked tail as he tried to get under the beast to attack it's less defended belly. At the other end, Tetra was dodging the creature's jaws and claws . . . along with the occasional stream of acid. The pirate girl didn't have a chance to try and attack, as she instead had to run for her life. Finally, Sheik managed to get close enough to strike the dragon's. For his troubles, he got the wind knocked out of him by the dragon's tail.  
  
Zelda continued to chant as magical energies gathered unto her. A faint golden aura surrounded the princess, as her hair whipped about in the unseen wind.  
  
Amethyst seemed to notice the increase in Zelda's magic, as her attention was suddenly drawn to the princess of old. Abandoning the pirate girl, the Earth Dragon began to scurry towards Zelda.  
  
"Oh crap!" Tetra exclaimed. "Zelda watch out!" Unfortunately, the princess was unable to hear, having blocked out all external stimulus to concentrate on her spell.  
  
"It's no good!" Sheik yelled, charging after the dragon. He struck it with his swords, but the dragon ignored him, focused instead on Zelda.  
  
As Amethyst neared Zelda, Tetra quickly put away her sword and drew her bow. She notched an arrow. It instantly began to shine with a bright golden light. Taking aim, she let the powered up Light Arrow fly. It struck the dragon's side, exploding in a giant blast of light.  
  
That got Amethyst's attention.  
  
The dragon roared as it turned back to Tetra, Zelda forgotten. Tetra quickly notched another arrow and fired, but the dragon juked slightly to the side, avoiding the golden missile. Tetra began to run away as the dragon approached. Sheik snuck in to attack it's belly, keeping Amethyst's attention split between the two of them.  
  
Zelda's eyes suddenly snapped open as she completed her spell. She raised her arms above her head and a golden ball fo magical energy formed at her fingertips. "NOW!!" She cried. "Get clear!"  
  
Tetra and Sheik heard her and both instantly took off in opposite directions. Amethyst was confused for a second, before her attention was drawn back to Zelda.  
  
The ball of magic in Zelda's hand suddenly shattered, showering the entire cavern with golden sparks. The ground began to shake and strong winds suddenly picked up. Dust and small rocks were picked up and carried along with the winds towards a sort of magical vortex . . . which had formed directly under Amethyst.  
  
Amethyst realized she was in trouble a little too late. The vortex swirled and grew under her. She tried to move, but it was to late. The magic portal swirled and grew, until it was finally as large as the dragon. Slowly, Amethyst was pulled into the vortex and vanished from the cavern. Immediately after, the portal dissipated.  
  
All was silent for a few moments. Then a soft chuckling could be heard, followed by laughter. The trio turned to find the sorceress laughing. She finally stopped and smirked at the princess. "That was most unorthodox," she stated.  
  
"What did you do?" Tetra asked Zelda.  
  
"I banished the dragon to the gap between dimensions," the princess replied.

--------------------------------

Ganondorf's first great creation floated in nothingness. The first of Ganon's great creations. And the first of Ganon's great failures. The original prototype of Phantom Ganon. The creation had been banished into the void by it's own creator after the Hero of Time had defeated it. And it had been there, alone, for centuries.  
  
The skull-faced shade gave a slight start. Something was out of place. There was the sound of heavy breathing where there had been no sound for years. Slowly, the Phantom turned around, only to find itself face-to-face with a large, green dragon.  
  
_Oh crap_, was the last thing the original Phantom Ganon thought before large jaws closed over it.

--------------------------------

"Well," the Sorceress stated. "I suppose that qualifies as a victory. I will give you my shard of the Talisman. But first . . ." She raise her hand and snapped her fingers.  
  
In the middle of the cavern, Amethyst reappeared.  
  
"I cannot leave my precious pet there," the Sorceress commented. She then held out her hand. In it rested one third of a pendant. It was silver and had a single golden triangle on it. The shard floated from her hand over to Princess Zelda. The princess plucked the medallion from the air.  
  
"Thank you," Zelda said.  
  
The Sorceress of Earth nodded. She gestured with her hand and a swirling blue light appeared on the ground. "This will take you out of here. Good luck, Princesses of Destiny."  
  
Zelda, Tetra, and Sheik stepped into the blue light and all disappeared.


End file.
